Starlight
by lionetspirit
Summary: Ichigo is with Masaya, but will she learn that it's only a child's crush? And exactly why does her smug boss get on her nerves so much? Will she learn what love is when she is recruited to become an idol? IxR COMPLETE
1. Ryou's hidden feelings

Hey everyone, I'd like to introduce my first fanfic ever: **Fated Love**.

_It'll be filled with confusion, drama, romance and all that jazz, with a touch of humor. _

Ichigo has been dating Masaya for a year now. Things between them haven't changed. But when Ichigo is offered an opportunity to become the next top idol, things start to get complicated. Why on Earth does she have to pair up with her jerk of a boss on her road to stardom?

Ichigo x Ryou

_Japanese definitions will only be found at the end of this chapter. There aren't that many words to know, but they get used throughout the story._

_Anyway, please review! Critiques are welcomed too as that will help me make the story better_

**Please review if you enjoy the read! **

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**Chapter 1: Ryou's hidden feelings?!**

"SHI—RO—GA—NE!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Her face was undoubtedly bright beet red and a pair of black ears adorned her head as she struggled to hide them with her right arm.

A blond, blue-eyed adolescent looked at her coolly, only inches away from her face. "What's up, strawberry?"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT CRAP." She screamed. Her ruby colored bangs swayed freely across her forehead as she forcefully pushed away the toned body of her handsome, but oh-so-agitating boss.

"Who told you to get licked by that dog?" His tone was neutral but his lips were curved in a slight sneer. "I was doing you the favor of changing you back." He watched her from the corner of his eyes as he began to walk out the kitchen door.

It was true. Ichigo Momomiya, the energetic 14 year old who had inconveniently passed by a leash-less dog on her way to work had spent the last 20 minutes before the start of her shift running away from the large canine. Instinctively, the dog felt a need to chase the poor girl, who at the time was in her full human form. The dog had managed to pin her down and plant a big slobbery kiss across her face. In fact, she got lucky this time. At least her encounter was with a friendly dog. Plus, she had transformed into a cat before the owner caught up.

Ichigo raised her index finger to her trembling lips. She could still feel the warmth of his soft lips and his gentle breath when he pulled away…AHH…WHAT on Earth was she thinking? Of course, anyone would be nervous in that situation right? Of course she'd be nervous even if it wasn't Masaya kissing her, right? And it'd only be natural to think about what happened right? Darn that jerk.

"WHY'D YOU HAVE TO K-KI-KISS ME?" She screamed after her boss. Realizing he had left, she ran out of the kitchen, deciding to give him a piece of her mind. With ears and tail still attached, she pushed open the door.

"Kiss? Ichigo?" Mint asked casually from her usual "tea sampling" table, as that was what she claimed she was doing for work. She raised an eyebrow at the surprised Ichigo.

"Oh, Mint. Um…I said..k..keys. That's right. I was looking for my keys." Ichigo turned away from Mint anxiously and darted up the stairs that led to Ryou Shirogane's room. And by god, she _really_ had to learn to speak more quietly.

"Hmm…was that your kitty ears and tail I saw?" Ichigo heard Mint calling faintly after her.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the top of the steps. She calmed down a bit, her fluffy ears no longer present; the sound of bells could be heard no more. It really was unfair to be so easily read. Why didn't the other Mews have anything popping out from their heads when they were excited or nervous?

But there was a bright side to all of this. Masaya loved her cat-like features; he had called her _his _cat even before he found out about it. She remembered how he had hidden her in his jacket to protect _his_ kitty from being seen. It had been absolute bliss. A smile was plastered on the cat girl's face and a dreamy, dazed look replaced the previously angry one. "Nya? Why am I up here again, nya?" She asked out loud.

The strawberry colored hair girl, once again managing to distract herself, forgot why she needed to see her infuriating boss. There had to be a reason for it though, and the girl decided that she would try to remember as she made her way there.

'Sorry to disappoint you baka strawberry, but you won't be seeing me shirtless in my room right now,' the giant paper that was pasted to the entrance of Ryou's room read. She was utterly shocked, angry and disgusted. SERIOUSLY, as if she would intentionally find him so she could see him shirtless… although he _did_ have a nice body... No, no, no! She wasn't in the least bit disappointed! How dare he even write that! It wasn't her fault that he tells people to walk into the room while being half naked.

That was it. Her hands clasped tightly into fists as she pumped the air above her fervently. _That Shirogane…that arrogant punk! _Ichigo was mentally screaming to herself. _That jerk makes my blood boil!_

"Are you looking for Ryou?" said Keiichiro Akasaka, the long acquainted friend of Ryou and co-owner of Mew Mew Café. He had sensed a murderous aura radiating from the vicinity of his friend's room and had decided to check it out. Now he understood what it was.

"It was nothing Akasaka-san" Ichigo said tensely. She stood with her back facing Ryou's door and tried to subtly rip the blasted paper from it. "See you later" she said as soon as she managed to crumple the sign into a condensed ball and quickly placed it in her pocket.

Ichigo in her fury, stomped down every step of the staircase, fists clenched until her knuckles turned white.

"GET TO WORK." It was Ryou. He shook his head. "If you hadn't noticed, we've got a café to run. I'm adding the hour you wasted into your shift."

"NO! That's not fair! I get more done here than the other mews do in twice the time." She groaned. She looked her comrades in battle – they weren't quite as reliable as fellow workers. "Mint just sits around and sips tea and her tea time somehow always ends up being the entire work day. Half of all our profits go into paying for all the plates Pudding and Lettuce break and Zakuro, she isn't even here most of the time! If anything, I should be getting a raise! I DEMAND A RAISE" Ichigo made the same case everyday. Knowing what he was going to say didn't stop her from trying.

"No." Ryou replied flatly. "Besides, you owe me today for transforming you back." He watched her expression change in sudden realization. He cursed himself silently.

It all came back to her. She was running around on all fours with the bell around her black tail and neck ringing from her constant motion. She had managed to get to the cafe as a cat! Honestly, she had no idea what to do and worst of all, she couldn't open the front door!

And suddenly, as if responding to her panic, the door opened. Out stepped Ryou who looked directly at the hyper cat going insane. He picked her up and brought her inside without a word, away from the customers of schoolgirls who wanted to cuddle her to death, and into the kitchen where he performed the ultimate taboo- he kissed her! _What a jerk! _Ichigo scowled at the thought.

"First, Kish had to steal my first kiss, and then baka Shirogane had to steal the next …I don't even know since I've lost count. It wasn't until the Deep Blue crisis that I _finally_ get to kiss Masaya for the first time. And now…well, we haven't kissed since then. " she mumbled miserably to herself.

"CAN YOU UNDERSTAND WHY I'M SO MAD NOW?" Ichigo screamed.

Ryou stood there astounded, but most of all amused. So that was what it was all about. Of course, his cool exterior would never show what he was actually thinking. _Sounds like I get to kiss Ichigo more than her boyfriend does._ The corner of his mouth tipped into a subtle smirk, but in an instant, it was gone because of Ichigo's words.

"I'm getting kissed by the people I'd hate to kiss most of all!" Her eyes were fierce. She stared straight into his cerulean eyes as if sending him a challenge, but she didn't get the cold response she expected. Though he never flinched, Ichigo was sure she saw pain in those always seemingly unfeeling eyes of his. As soon as she noticed, his eyes suddenly lost their depth and gave way to dullness, as if to cover up any signs of emotion that may have been there before. She faltered for a brief moment. Maybe she had gone too far?

He narrowed his eyes at her and looked at her for a moment. In an instant, he turned around and said "Get to work. You're not getting that raise and you're working overtime tonight," his voice was uncaring as usual.

"Fine." Ichigo responded. She forced her voice to be steady but her arms shook. _I must have imagined it. How could anyone like that even feel pain? Don't think that I'll easily fall for your tricks Shirogane!_ Armed with new certainty and triumphant from the near moment of weakness, Ichigo ignored all emotions and focused on work. Well, maybe she was keeping busy to distract herself from the sudden pain at her chest but she would never admit that.

Ryou was watching her from the corner of the room as he often did. Concealed in the shadows, his eyes followed her no less than they did the day before. He replayed those stinging words over and over again: "_I'm getting kissed by the people I'd hate to kiss most of all_." Why did those words bother him so much?

He watched her every movement as she hyperly bounced from one table to the next and observed as those chocolate colored eyes focused on the work at hand. She moved quickly and gracefully. She was in her own way, elegant; that was of course, when she wasn't talking. Ryou smiled to himself, a genuine smile that he had never let anyone see before. Her awesome composure, beautiful and swift movements when she worked were to be expected though. He had not forgotten about the genes of the Iriomote wildcat that he had infused with her own. He could never forget that.

Ryou was the reason her life began to take a strange turn. No, she did not owe him anything for that kiss that turned her from a cat back into a human. He owed _her, _at the very least, her transformation back into her normal self. As for all that work he made her do, all the times he annoyed her, excited her and surprised her, they weren't at all necessary, but it was fun. For him maybe, but he could tell she was extremely upset today.

"_I'm getting kissed by all the people I'd hate to kiss most of all."_ Ugh. Maybe it was getting out of hand. Maybe he _should_ be nicer.

Those words were ringing incessantly through his mind. "I'm just annoyed about the responsibility of it all, THAT'S ALL." He told himself harshly. He carried the overbearing responsibility of forcing such a fate onto those innocent girls, especially to Ichigo who suffered most of all. "And the kiss was just to change her back anyway..." he trailed off as he recalled her rosy cheeks and luminescent eyes that searched through his own. He could still feel the warmth of her body just as he was pulling away and the taste of her sweet lips. That imploring look on her face. She had seemed so vulnerable. _ARGH. Why am I thinking that? _He asked himself angrily. _That's what happens during a kiss. There's nothing special about that._

The bell rang, signaling the entrance of another customer. It woke Ryou from his momentary trance. He saw the dark-haired Mr. Perfect approach the ecstatic girl. He couldn't understand why he was so annoyed by his presence.

"Masaya!" he heard Ichigo squeal with delight. _Ugh, just great._

"Hi Ichigo." Masaya offered a warm smile. "I got out of kendo practice early today. Thought I'd drop by and maybe help out."

Ryou walked toward the scene. "That won't be necessary Aoyama. We have enough employees here."

"Shirogane!" Ichigo said indignantly, eyes pleading. "You know I've been having a tough time. It's so busy today."

_Darn those eyes_. "Whatever, but he's not getting paid." Ryou said nonchalantly while watching Masaya very carefully.

Ichigo immediately grabbed Masaya's arm, heading to the changing room and said "Thanks a whole bunch" as she ran off.

_Ugh. Just perfect. I get to spend the next couple of hours watching the both of them. _In utter annoyance but displaying a calm exterior, Ryou went to check on the other girls.

"Shirogane" Zakuro had been watching them. "You've no reason to not trust Aoyama-kun. He's already proven himself."

"Right." But that wasn't at all why Ryou was observing him so carefully.

Ichigo and Masaya returned hand in hand, ready to get to work. Masaya was greatly welcomed by the female customers. He was a good worker, someone Ichigo could finally rely on in the cafe. And he was just too adorable in those clothes!

"Get to work guys." Ryou was surprised to see Ichigo speed off to tend to the customers without a single complaint. He gave the couple a final glance and walked away.

She didn't want Masaya to think that she was troublesome and she didn't want him to see her arguing. It was a bit difficult not exploding when her temper wanted to flare at Ryou's arrogance, but she didn't mind so much. She was so relieved there was someone to finally help her out! She knew she could always count on her boyfriend. After the final customers left, the other mews left as well, and left it to Ichigo and Masaya to close up.

Tired from the busy day at work, she stretched her arms and was just about to sit.

Keiichiro walked out with a plate of new deserts. "Thanks for your hard work today. Would you like some cake?"

Ichigo blushed mildly. Masaya was there, she couldn't possibly show him how she pigged out on sweets. "No thank you Akasaka-san."

"Baka strawberry, just eat it." Ryou approached the three. He had been observing them unnoticed from the hallway.

The cat girl stared at the pastries, almost drooling but somehow managed to contain herself. "Just one!" She said, as if she was reluctant to eat any at all.

"Ichigo has never had more than one piece of cake on our dates together." Masaya said thoughtfully. "She must not like them too much or maybe she just has a small appetite." He looked at Ichigo and smiled. "Just like a dainty koneko neh?"

Meanwhile, Ryou and Keiichiro gave Ichigo an inquisitive and confused look. _He can't possibly be talking about that baka! _Ryou thought.

Ichigo's cheeks reddened under their gaze. Masaya lifted up a fork and scooped a piece of cake to feed Ichigo. "Ano..." Ichigo shifted a bit uneasily in her seat. She felt his hand brush her arm accidentally as he motioned to feed her and she suddenly remembered the warmth of Ryou's arms surrounding her earlier that day. POP! Out came Ichigo's fuzzy black ears and tail. Masaya gave a soft chuckle.

Ryou saw her flustered. _Well why wouldn't she be. Aoyama, that annoying bastard is feeding her. Hold on...why should that bother me? _He turned around, unable to watch the scene for a second longer.

"Later guys." With his back facing them, he walked away as if he did not have a single care in the world.

Ryou couldn't understand the annoyance he felt all day. It gnawed at him constantly. He didn't have a single moment of peace that day, even when he was alone. He looked at his treasured family portrait. _Mom, Dad, god I miss you both so much. I wish you were here to listen to my problems. _

Fire, flames and smoke suddenly appeared. The recurring memory was coming back. It came back every time he looked at the picture. He couldn't even look at his parents' faces in peace.

_Ugh..Time for another shower to help me forget...again._ Those showers always relaxed him and made him forget. Slowly the image of chaos retreated from his mind and instead were replaced with that echoing voice he had heard all day "_I'm getting kissed by all the people I'd hate to kiss most of all."_

Why did he keep hearing those words? Why wouldn't they just get out of his head? "Ichigo" he said her real name for the first time. "I'll always protect you. No matter what." As if he hadn't realized what he was saying, he suddenly caught himself.

_Damnit. Get out of my head. _

His overwhelming desire to protect her – that was just to take responsibility for turning her into a Mew right? How could it be anything more with that unrefined and unbelievably aggravating brat? She was just...UGH...loud and annoying! _And kind, gentle and lively...geez Ryou STOP THAT! _

But the sparkling expression when she smiled lingered in his mind.

He sighed in reluctant acceptance. Of course it wasn't just the responsibility. When he thought she had died in that final fight, he thought his own heart would stop beating. _Darn that strawberry…of all people, why her?_ He sighed helplessly.

_Ryou Shirogane, you are smitten with that baka strawberry._

But what did it matter. She was happily coupled with Masaya, her ideal and eternal love. That was fine with him, as long as she was alive and happy.

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**Author's note: **

_Excuse my japanese, for I have never taken a class nor formally learned the language. I used certain Japanese phrases because I wanted to stay true to the characters._ _These words are repeated multiple times throughout the story, so I figured that I'll only need to define them once (for those who haven't watched anime to such an obsessively excess degree that the Japanese would begin sinking into their brains)_

Baka idiot

Nani? What? (with a more huh? / Ehh? tone)

koneko cat

Arigato thank you

Ano Umm.. (it has a bit hesitant and a little uneasy tone to it)

Note that in Japanese culture, only good friends refer to each other by their first names. (Throughout the story, Ryou avoids calling Ichigo simply Ichigo. Just as Ichigo calls Ryou by his last name, instead of his first.)


	2. Moonlit Night

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**Chapter 2****: Moonlit Night**

Ryou, fresh out of the shower, lay silently repose on his bed. Did Ichigo hate him? Or just hated to kiss him? He was fine with the latter, reasoning that any girl would hate to be kissed by someone who wasn't her boyfriend. He hadn't really thought about Ichigo's feelings when he did it; he thought he was helping her out. _Not that I didn't enjoy it_, he smiled slyly.

He sighed. Girls were emotional. Every kiss had to mean something. That was why it bothered her so much. _If only that did mean something…_He reached for his lips, remembering her strawberry scent when he was only centimeters away from her beautiful face. At the time, he held her in his arms, thinking of how precious she was to him, and how it was even possible a single person could have such a large place in his previously closed heart. _Like it could ever be an empty kiss with her. That baka. _

He recalled just how hard it was for him to pull away and to pretend it was only an empty kiss. He absolutely hated having to pretend not to care when he had always been watching her and protecting her. He hated when Ichigo was angry or upset because of him and hated even more so the fact that _he_ couldn't be the one to comfort her. Ryou would always be the witness to Ichigo's love with Masaya, but never, _NEVER_ would he play the role of her lover. He could still hear Ichigo and Masaya chatting downstairs. They were still closing up.

He sighed. _Did she really mean it when she said she'd hate for me to kiss her most of all? _How he wished she enjoyed that kiss even half as much as he did.

He stuffed his face into the pillow, golden strands of hair still wet, and screamed. "GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF RYOU."

Finally deciding he would not be able to sleep like this, he went to his desk. With a pen in hand and a piece of paper on the tabletop, he began writing. The words flowed naturally out of him as his head was filled only with the thoughts of his strawberry. _My strawberry?_ He frowned. _If only…_

Satisfied with his work, Ryou headed to bed. Pouring his thoughts on paper gave him just enough peace of mind to fall asleep.

Meanwhile, just outside the room of the unsuspecting 16 year old entrepreneur, Ichigo was found peeking through the slit of open space between the door and wall of her boss's bedroom. _The lights are still on_, she thought to herself gleefully. _There's hope yet!_

"Shirogane?" She had planned to ask her boss for a day off tomorrow for a date with Masaya and decided to pay him a short visit before she left. "Shirogane?" she tried again. She was beginning to get agitated. His lights were still turned on so he must be up. _Who does he think he is just ignoring me like that?_

With a scowl on her face, she stormed into the room…

And found her half naked blue eyed boss lying in bed. "Shii-shii-rogane! PUT.." she began to scream when suddenly realized he was asleep, "a shirt on" she finished in a whisper. Looking at his sleeping face, she forgot all thoughts of anger and closed the harsh lights of the room to help him sleep.

She silently walked towards the bed, thinking to pull a blanket over his bare chest. _He might even pass for cute when he's asleep. _Ichigo thought in admiration watching the gentle features of his face lighted with reflected moonlight. His blond locks fell over his eyes and he had such a peaceful look, almost helpless. Ryou's expression began shifting into a troubled look. _He must be having a nightmare._ She thought silently to herself. She didn't like it, the troubled look on his face. _He's already had such a difficult past…_

"I wish I could do something for you, Shirogane." Ichigo whispered gently. She wanted to brush his problems away and let him live without painful memories. Her hand began reaching out for the fine features of his face on its own. _Ichigo, what's wrong with you?_ She scowled.

With one hand holding the other back, she sat on his bed in silence. It was probably just in her personality to be worried._ It was nothing._ She convinced herself, _I'm just a concerned friend. Wait... F__riend?_ Honestly, she had no idea what she was to him or what he was to her. Well, of course she knew! He was the all time most despicable boss who constantly harassed her! She could probably even sue him for sexual harassment. An evil grin crept up on her face as she entertained the idea. Why, oh why, hadn't she thought of that sooner? But just as quickly as that grin appeared, it soon dropped from her expression. Suing him for that was a bit harsh, and that would have to mean that he had _forcefully _kissed her all those times, which he hadn't really.

But, he had been the one to force her into those strange situations right? It wasn't as though _she_ had wanted it in anyway. That was just...impossible, absurd and-and well, too disturbing to even consider! Feeling uneasy, she hurried for the door. She couldn't possibly continue her self debate in this position. She scolded herself silently for allowing her thoughts to even get to that point. Her thoughts were of Masaya, and Masaya only! She adored him, so much that there was just no room left for her to have any other thoughts. She went for the door in haste. In her rushed escape, she knocked into the desk.

The sound of a piece of paper fluttering from the table caught her sensitive ears. _I'd better go pick it up or he'll notice someone was here._ The cat girl turned back around, cursing at herself for her carelessness. If she had only been more careful, she'd already be out the door.

A single beam of moonlight hit the paper on the ground. She was mesmerized. Ichigo kneeled down and studied the paper. _How can something so simple look so beautiful?_ It seemed as if it called to her, or rather it was her own curiosity that caused her to begin reading: "To fill the void"

_I'm tired of these efforts wasted,  
of these bitter times we spend  
Misunderstandings of ill chosen words,  
and fighting to no end.  
Why is it that the ones so close  
and those we care so dearly,  
are the very ones that hurt us most  
and prevent us from seeing clearly?  
Yet through it all I still can't imagine,  
what I would do without you.  
And through all this pain and suffering,  
my heart continues to stay true.  
The void within me exists  
because I lay my heart out bare.  
The empty spaces that lie within me,  
cry out for tender care.  
And though quiet silent I will remain,  
through this agony I feel  
I'll mute the sounds of suffering  
of a pain that feels too real._

_It's beautiful but so sad. I wish he didn't have to lose his family. _She didn't know what came over her. It was really just pity for the poor guy. Sure, he was the soulless boss from hell but he really had suffered a lot.

Somehow, those words were too much for Ichigo. Sitting on the ground, she let the wet tears stream freely down her face. _Why am I crying? This is stupid, Ichigo. What's wrong you Ichigo?_ No matter what she said to herself, she couldn't stop it.

"Ichigo" she heard a quiet whisper coming from Ryou's mouth. The girl spun around, quickly wiping away her tears. _Good he's still asleep, _she thought with relief, oblivious to the fact that it was the first time she heard him call her that. _I wouldn't want to be seen like this._

She took the paper and returned it to its place on the desk. She stole a final glance at her boss before heading out. _Darnit_, she stopped in her tracks. She had forgotten something.

Ryou was still lying in bed, muscular arms and chest exposed to the open air. _He'll catch a cold_, Ichigo looked at him kindly. Not that she particularly cared, she was just trying to be a good frien-err-employee. She tiptoed her way back to his bed and reached for the covers.

"Ichigo" he whispered again. She turned to look at him, face still troubled. _What exactly is he dreaming about?_ She sighed. She really couldn't help feel guilty when he saw him like that. _I was definitely too harsh on him today._ She thought as she scolded herself for being so inconsiderate.

Before she knew it, Ryou's arms were wrapped tightly around her waist as he continued his slumber. "NYA?" Her black ears and tail popped out.

He nuzzled his face in the curve of her neck. "Shii-shi-shirogane…" she whispered nervously. She could feel his warm breath on her neck as he exhaled. His toned body was right next to her as her arms were pressed against his chest and she could smell his familiar scent; he had always used that soap. "Nyaahh" she cried helplessly. Ichigo looked down at the sleeping figure. _He does seem to be sleeping better now though,_ she couldn't help but smile.

She struggled a bit but found that she was stuck. His arms were locked around her and he just wouldn't let go! She shifted around a bit more, afraid to wake her blond boss. But it was so warm and soothing just lying there, on his soft bed surrounded by his supportive arms that made her feel so secure. Purr…It was so comfortable that she felt like she could fall asleep.

"Baka strawberry. Get to work!" Ichigo froze. _What the..?Is he awake?_ She thought in utter horror, afraid to move.

Ryou's eyes were still closed as he lay there with a smile across his face. _I've never seen him smile like that,_ she thought in wonder. It was so unlike him. The smile looked almost, just almost ...she paused to look for a proper word...kind. It was difficult to put those two ideas together: her boss and 'kind.' She felt his grip loosen around her. "Baka, you were acting soo weird today." His voice caught her by surprise. He seemed like he was going to wake up at any moment.

"Shh..shhh…Ryou-chan. It's Okaasan. Go to sleep." She said softly. _I hope this works._ She thought fervently to herself. She couldn't possibly be caught in this position. Masaya was just downstairs waiting for her answer about tomorrow's plans. And Shirogane…well, Shirogane would never let her live this down! She'd be teased and blackmailed for the rest of her life, but not if she could help it.

"Ryou-chan…Okaasan and Otosan both love you very much" she began. She remembered the poem. "Don't burden yourself shiro-" _CRAP!_ "Ryou-chan. You should share your pain with your friends. That's what they're there for. Now shh and go to sleep."

She held her breath as she gently pried his fingers open. _YES!_ _GOT IT!_ _That was a close call. _She gently pulled the covers over him and hurried out of the room as quietly as she could. The quiet sound of her bells ringing as she left lingered in Ryou's mind.

When she was finally out the door, she exhaled a sigh of extreme relief. Her heart was beating incredibly fast. _Any girl in that position would be nervous! _She mentally berated herself. _Ugh, don't get soft Ichigo! He's a menace! _But she knew that couldn't be true after seeing him like that. She couldn't possibly hate him when she watched him like that. Ryou had suffered so much. He was in fact, probably more vulnerable than she was.

Her ears and tail were still exposed. "Hssss" She was agitated. _Damn that Ryou-chan. WAIT! I meant Shirogane. If only I hadn't seen him like that, I wouldn't be so confused._It had just been pity right? It wasn't as if she was being kind to him because she wanted to._ And the physical contact_, she restrained herself from a slight shiver, _was accidental, purely meaningless._ But then why were her ears out?

Deciding that the argument inside her head was going no where, well it was going somewhere she didn't like, she brushed off those disturbing thoughts and did what she did best. Blame Shirogane. _It's his fault I'm confused._ _It's like he's bipolar.What is with that guy?_ she thought angrily.

She remembered the look of his innocent face against the moonlight. _Well, it can't be helped. I better make up for what I said today,_ she thought, somewhat defeated. Well it was fine to give in this time. It wasn't as if he would even remember what happened. She reluctantly allowed herself to smile.

"Ichigo?" Masaya's voice came from downstairs. "SHHH" she said in surprise of the sudden voice. _Ahh! I completely forgot he was still here!_ "NYA? My ears are still here!" _Darn that Shirogane. He was able to get me into trouble even when he was asleep! He's good. Not to mention incredibly cute when he's asleep... _" Nya, stop that Ichigo-nya!" she told herself sternly. (It would have come out sternly if not for the nya's).

"Masa-nya" Ichigo quickly covered her mouth immediately after calling Masaya. _This isn't good! I've got to calm down. Think of work..busy busy work. No one helping. Masaya helping me out when no one else would. Wait! Thinking of Masaya won't help! _While mentally debating with herself, she managed to rid herself of those pesky cat adornments.

"Sorry about that Masaya!" Ichigo ran down the stairs. "Shirogane said no." She lied. But don't worry, I'll try again tomorrow morning" She couldn't have told Masaya that Ryou had been sleeping because then he'd wonder what took her so long.

"Oh" Masaya said in disappointment. "What took you so long?"

"Uh..haha.ha." She laughed nervously. "I-uh…was arguing with him again about getting that raise."

"Haha. Just like my koneko-chan." Masaya said, not in the least bit suspicious.

_Did he just say __my__ koneko-chan? _"Teehee" A giant smile was plastered across Ichigo's dazed face.

"Let's go little kitty. I'll walk you home." Masaya said kindly.

_SCORE!_ she mentally shouted in excitement as thoughts of Ryou complete left her mind. "That'd be nice." Ichigo said as she mentally did a backflip out of happiness. She reached for Masaya's comforting hand and they walked out of the café together and into the moonlit night.

* * *

**Definitions**:

Okaasan mom

Otosan dad


	3. Desperate for a Kiss

**Chapter 3**:**Desperate for a Kiss**

"Thanks mom!" She said as she ran out the front door of her house with one hand holding a piece of toast. It was early Sunday morning and Ichigo was heading to work. "Man, I'm late again! I'm really gonna hear it from Shirogane today." She quickly stuffed half the toast into her mouth while running, almost choking on it.

"AHEM..cough cough" _If I choke to death now, at least I won't be hearing Shirogane yell at me._ "Ahh, all better." She had stopped in her tracks, body bent forward with her hands against her knees.

"Oh well, guess I won't be able to haunt that stupid arrogant jerk as a ghost then." Her eyes glinted with her evil thoughts. "Well maybe he's not that bad.." she began to say as she remembered his sleeping face and that melancholy poem. Debating on what was exactly going on in Ryou's head however, proved to be unproductive and a complete waste of time as she was soon about to realize.

She glanced at her wristwatch. "CRAP! I'm late!!" the red-haired Ichigo dashed off with the toast still in hand. As she rushed to work blindly, she wondered what new excuse she could give to her boss today.

THUD. Ichigo had yet again, managed to encounter a dog and its owner on their morning run. She not only managed to tangle the knocked-out owner in his dog's leash, but also somehow got the flying piece of toast to land on her face. "This wouldn't happen if I didn't have to go to work so early" she mumbled to herself completely blinded from the dog only inches from her face, who was ready to devour the toast and lick her face clean of it.

"Meowmeow meow meOW MOEW!" the black kitten on the floor ran around frantically. Unbelievable! Was that the same dog from yesterday_? Ohh he is going to PAY!_

"Huh?" The man holding the leash looked around him in utter confusion and proceeded to fall over since he was caught within the tangles of the leash. The dog looked at him before deciding to run from killer cat Ichigo. Luckily for the dog, the collar snapped off of the canine's neck as he made a run for it.

The cute innocent looking kitten extended her claws, ready to kill, which might have actually happened if not for the giant hands that suddenly picked her up.

"meOW Meow!" she cried indignantly. She wasn't ready to let the dog off from her wrath. Kitty Ichigo took a hard bite at the hand. That'd teach anyone to mess with her!

Yet, the hand refused to let go. "Stop it Strawberry." His voice was stern.

Extending his arms, Ryou held the kitten as she tried frantically to get away. She stared straight at him: _Let me go. _

"Can't do that baka."

Ugh. That was it. It's not like she didn't warn him. She extended all her claws, each paw armed with piercing weapons. "Nya nya meow MeoW!" She went absolutely crazy and clawed every area of skin that came in contact.

Ryou winced, but held her still. In a voice that was controlled from quaking with anger, he said through his gritting teeth "You're working overtime tonight kitty. And while I'm at it, I'm docking your pay."

"MEOW!" And that was how the fierce kitten was defeated.

The man who had finally untangled himself looked at them in confusion and ran after his dog.

Ryou held the kitten in silence as he walked through the park; it was a shortcut to work. "Koneko, after what you said yesterday, I've decided I'll stop kissing you." He paused. "That's all I wanted to say." He placed the kitten onto the ground. "Later strawberry. See you at work." With that, Ichigo in her cat form, watched Ryou disappear behind a corner.

_WHAT?! What's with him? He just left me here! What a …_ As she was at a loss of a fitting word that would properly describe the extent of his jerkishness, if that was even a word. "What a JERKFACE!" Well, that was a new one.

By this time, Ichigo had resolved to face the issue at hand. _Nani?!_ _Ugh, what have I done!_ Ichigo wondered miserably. It was not that she wanted his kisses. Not at all. It was the fact that she'd now stay a cat forever. What was she to do in this awful situation?

_Masaya! _She brightened at the thought. Her reliable boyfriend would definitely pull through. Ahh, dreamy Masaya who had been holding her hand as he walked her all the way home only the night before. If she didn't already have those ears and tail, they would pop out now.

It was not until she had finally reached Masaya, somehow managed to get him to understand that it was transformed Ichigo, and set off once again for work did she realize the very horrible situation she had put herself in. There was no way she could possibly kiss Masaya like this. Not if she wanted the kiss to mean anything. And well, even if she could just kiss him again as a human later on, she still wouldn't prefer her first real kiss with him (or at least a kiss when they're both conscious at the same time) to be as a cat.

But all was not lost. Masaya still had no idea about the process that was necessary to detransform back into a human. Nor did she intend to EVER let him know. _How could I let him know how I was able to transform back all those times before?_

In the end, her plan was a complete failure, even if she had the perfect, most reliable boyfriend in the world.

The kitten sat deep in thought, nestled comfortably against Masaya's arms, when suddenly she realized who it was that held her so protectively. _Masaya's holding me! _She tensed up.

This was just all too much. Her all time greatest crush and now boyfriend held her up against his warm chest. She became conscious of every contact, every touch. And though she was nervous, she still enjoyed it very much.

The image of Ryou holding her in the same way only yesterday suddenly popped into her head. It came as a surprise at first. _What the…?_ And then realization: _Eww! Why'd I suddenly think of that. _Although honestly, it wasn't that much of an 'eww' considering he was damn attractive, a fact Ichigo hated to admit. "What a waste of good looks!" kitty Ichigo said in cat speech. Lucky for her Masaya had no remote understanding of cat speech.

"Meow meow!" He heard instead. Masaya looked at the kitten amusingly. She always seemed to have moments of debating with herself and it showed on her facial expression even as an adorable little kitten. Whatever it was, her once tense body began to relax.

Masaya chuckled at memories of his previous encounters with Ichigo before they had been going out. He had always known about her crush on him; she was just that easy to read with her blushing face and stuttering words. In fact, she was still like that around him.

He reached out behind her ears. _Nani! _If cats could blush, her red cheeks would show over her sleek black fur.

Purrr…

Then her moment of bliss was interrupted. "Ichigo," he said in that kind voice of his "we're here." _No! We should have taken the long way around the park_ the kitten sulked in her thoughts.

With one free hand, Masaya opened the large door that led into Mew Mew café.

"Awwwww! It's so cute!" one of the customers squealed as her hands surrounded the black kitten.

"And just look at these ribbons and bells!" another girl said, hands tugging on the ribbon on her tail.

Meanwhile, 'Oohhs', 'Aahhs', 'Awwws' and several incoherent sounds that resembled girlish squeals filled the room as all the female customers in the café gave their undivided attention to the kitten, almost managing to cause the now extremely agitated kitty Ichigo to drown in a sea of eager hands.

Ichigo had jumped away from Masaya (who had somehow ended up taking over her shift) upon entering. While she had originally been heading for the café, she realized that she couldn't be seen returning to the café as a cat. For this reason, the very frantic kitten ran from her beloved boyfriend. There was no way she would admit defeat to her blue-eyed boss.

_Shirogane!_ Her temper flared at an all time high as her whiskers, tail and ears were being tugged on. She didn't even know if he was genuinely trying to be nice, doing exactly what she wanted by not kissing her or if he was being spiteful by leaving her as a cat. _Ugh. _

And those darn girls. _This is animal cruelty!_ Her little kitten face scowled and she didn't stop until she saw the other Mews.

_Mint! Lettuce! Pudding and Zakuro!_ She felt like she was about to cry from joy. "Meooowww!" she called after them. It seemed to have caught Mint's ears as she suddenly put down her cup of tea and stared at the kitten in surprise.

_YES! It's me. Help me please_. The ruby eyes of the desperate cat implored.

And then she saw the grin that appeared on Mint's face. _Uh oh. It might've been better if no one saw me at all._

"Shall I call Shirogane?" Mint asked casually. "To find your keys of course."

_What did she say?! _The kitten glared at the blue-haired girl. _Like I would ever ask for help from that creep. I bet she's angry that I didn't explain properly yesterday._

Mint began walking towards her. _Oh Mint! I knew you weren't that cruel. Kiss me Mint! _Ichigo thought hopefully (and somewhat desperately) as she puckered up her furry cat lips. When Mint reached the excited girls, she silently reached out a hand, and began petting Ichigo.

_No way…Are you kidding me?_ The feline thought in utter exasperation.

"Minto" Ichigo could hear Pudding's voice. _Pudding will help me!_ She thought suddenly and brightened up. Pudding approached Mint, mentioning something about critiquing a new tea they wanted to serve when she noticed…

"Ichigo-neesan" She said in excitement as her eyes lit up. _Finally, someone who's useful! _Ichigo thought.

"Oneesan makes a cute cute kitty, na no da!" Pudding picked up the panicked kitten and swirled her around in the air. "Come keep Pudding company today!" she said, full of smiles. Ichigo on the other hand was quite the opposite.

Zakuro watched them without a word. It wasn't like any of that was her concern and she felt no need to encourage nor discourage them.

Ichigo, in mid-air, met Zakuro's eyes and gave her the most pathetically pleading look she could manage, ._ Zakuro!_ Ichigo thought desperately, nearly at tears if that was even possible for cats. Zakuro simply looked away. _She saw me! That lazy unsociable idol saw me!_

With new blazing fury, killer kitty Ichigo emerged, fur standing on end; she was now a large black blob of fur twice her original size. "Hssssssss" She didn't care if it was her friends, they needed to know where the line was drawn!

"Sorry Oneechan, na no da" Pudding said nervously. Not only did the hissing finally stop Pudding from spinning Ichigo nauseous, it also caught Lettuce's attention.

Dizzy and half dazed, Ichigo thought she saw a green figure before closing her eyes to sort her head. "Ano.." she heard Lettuce's voice. "I think we should bring her to Masaya."

"NO!" Ichigo cried in catspeech, but to no avail. Lettuce lifted the nauseous cat and approached Masaya who was busy serving the customers.

"Oh Ichigo I'm so sorry!" Masaya said to the watery eyed kitten. "Why did you run from me though?"

"Ex-CUSE me, but I believe I was in the middle of making an order?" the female customer said loftily. "Tch, what bad service here."

"Miss, I'm very sorry about that. I'll be taking your order now." In a more hushed voice, he whispered to Lettuce "Don't you have some machine here to change her back? I thought that's why Ichigo needed to come here." Ichigo tensed up at these words and Lettuce felt it. It couldn't be helped though. It was better that he thought there was a machine.

Masaya scribbled cheerfully on a notepad, made a slight bow at the customer, and walked towards the kitchen.

_Ahh_, Ichigo looked at him dreamily. _He's looks amazing as a waiter._ She wouldn't dare to lose such an amazing guy over something so stupid. No way. She was determined never to let him know about her transformations.

"Ichigo…" Lettuce looked at her a bit confused. "What machine? I thought it was a ki-ki- " but Lettuce couldn't finish the thought as she blushed madly, dropped Ichigo, and ran off. _Darn…I couldn't kiss Lettuce in time._

_Ughh. What's a girl to do to get kissed around here?!_ She wondered miserably.

After wandering around alone in the halls for a few minute, she finally settled next to the warm furnace. Purrr….it was actually quite comfortable. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to fall asleep as a cat. _Wait a minute Ichigo! There's no way I'm gonna stand for it! If I'm a cat, how will I ever get a real kiss with Masaya?_

Waking from her near slumber, she paced around deep in thought. _Who can I kiss? There's only Shi..Shirogane and Keiichiro left. And there's no way in hell I'm going to Shirogane. That'd be like admitting defeat and it would be entirely embarassing! _

Thus, with her certain decision that she must find Keiichiro soon, she dashed downstairs to the lab.

To her disappointment, the lab door was closed and a sign read "Sorry Ryou, you know what tomorrow is. I know you'll be expecting me to be gone anyway, but I thought I should leave a note in case you forgot." At the very corner of the paper was Keiichiro's signature, and yesterday's date.

She paled at the words (or at least turned grey from shock). "Akasaka-san…is..gone? OH MY STRAWBERRY BELLS! He's GONE?!" The poor kitten was close to sobbing now. How could her ONLY hope be gone?

_Calm down. I can still go back to the Mews. _She thought it over.

Mint? Ha! There was no way that mighty princess would let anything furry touch her lips, much less let another girl (sort of) kiss her. Then there was Pudding. Pft, yeah…like Ichigo was really looking for an early funeral. Um..Lettuce? Lettuce was much too shy and scared. She might be scarred for the rest of her life if her first kiss was Ichigo. And Zakuro? Well, Ichigo wasn't exactly sure how Zakuro would react but she was definitely someone to be feared. She could surely send her to the depths of hell for this indecent act if she chose to.

_Masaya?_ Did she dare ruin her ideal first kiss with him like this?

_No way, no how._

She thought desperately to herself. Why did it have to come down to this? _Arg…maybe I could go outside and find a bird or something…_ No, that was too risky, as she would certainly somehow manage to get licked by another dog, if not by that same dog that had been ruining her life for the past few days.

She had to admit it. She had failed miserably. Shirogane had won yet another round. She couldn't stand it.

Reluctantly, she grudgingly made her way up the staircase. Never before had her paws, hands or legs, felt as heavy as they did now. She dragged herself up there, slowly but surely. _It's karma. This is what I get for being mean yesterday. _Ichigo thought sullenly.

_What am I thinking? He deserved it. _Just remembering his arrogant smirk and cold tone right after kissing her made her so angry! As if he had been kind enough to grace her with his lips. "Ughh." She groaned in utter disgust, how ever that may sound coming from a cat.

The door was open, strange. He probably just forgot to close it. She waltzed into the room, ready to pounce at Ryou and steal a quick meaningless kiss.

To her surprise, Ryou lay in bed under his covers, asleep. _How dare he!_ The agitated kitten thought. _He makes us come this early in the morning to work while he sleeps? UNBELIEVABLE._ It never crossed her mind that Ryou had gotten up that same morning just to help her out.

She was ready to attack her selfishly thoughtless boss, when it occurred to her that maybe, just maybe, it was better this way.

She smiled to herself gleefully. She was going to transform back without him ever knowing she kissed him!

The black kitten hopped onto the bed right beside Ryou's face. His golden hair hung carelessly over his face and he exhaled a breath of warm air that smelled like vanilla. _What a pity his personality couldn't match his looks._ But then few people could have both a wonderful personality and good looks, unless it was someone like Masaya of course. Ichigo was just about to enter another one of her typical daydreams of her perfect boyfriend when...

He began to stir. _I better hurry._ Ichigo thought, pulled away from her fantasies. She extended her neck as she closed her eyes and bent down for a small kiss.

SMACK! "YEOW" the little kitten cried in complaint at the sting of the flick against her forehead. Ryou had woken up to the shockingly close face of a certain cat he recognized. Ichigo opened her large ruby eyes and stared at Ryou's face which happened to be only a few centimeters from her own.

_Caught in the act!_ She thought nervously to herself. She spun around, ready to run away, if not for the voice calling after her.

"Well, aren't you going to finish what you came here to do?" Ryou gave her an arrogant smirk. "But this is really unbelievable," he began to say as he was about to burst out laughing. He controlled the urge though and settled with stifled laughter – a sound caught between laughing and coughing. "I'm getting kissed by the people I'd hate to kiss most of all." He imitated her in a high pitched falsetto voice.

"MeowmewMeoOW!" she cried angrily.

"I don't sound like you at all? That's all you have to say right now baka?" His laughter gave way to a self-satisfied grin. Yep, she was now certain he was a complete jerk. How could she have ever thought otherwise?

"You know, strawberry," He sighed mockingly "I know I said I'd stop kissing you, but I guess it's alright if _you_ kiss me."

Ryou chuckled at her response. Her body tensed up, tail completely gone stiff and she was frozen in place. He really was enjoying himself.

He loved watching her get nervous over him, even if she did hate his guts.

"I…didn't mean what I said yesterday." Ichigo meowed helplessly in cat speech. Well, what else could she do in this position. She had to accept it, his kisses _did _come in useful sometimes.

"Oh really strawberry? So you're saying you actually do like my kisses." He responded smugly.

_Like hell! You snobby jerkface! _She glared at him, eyebrows twitching in the absurdity of it all.

He took no notice of her fuming anger and leaned in closer to the stationary cat.

POP! With arms, legs and strawberry colored hair back in place, Ichigo's lips were still connected to those of her annoyingly smug boss.

POP! Ears and tail fully visible, she pushed away the blue-eyed Ryou who had been only too close to her and began screaming "That's ab- ab-solutely RIDICULOUS!" either stuttering from rage, or from nervousness.

"Whatever baka" Ryou said, although he knew that she had only said that because she couldn't possibly bring herself to kiss him first. "Always the follower, never the leader."

"What?" Ichigo said in confusion with her face now sufficiently red. And of course it'd be red. That kiss was totally unexpected! Well, maybe not entirely, but it was still surprising!

"If you were too shy to kiss me first, you could've just asked me to do it, you know" he said lightly.

_Oh he's so full of himself! Argh._ Her bells tinkled as she shook her fists at him and stared him down. She suddenly noticed, to her surprise, that he was fully clothed.

"What are you looking at baka?" Ryou questioned as he followed her eyes onto his black vest. "Disappointed?" He lips curved up in a smirk. "I couldn't go out shirtless now could I?" He enjoyed watching Ichigo' face shift from a rosy pink to a dark crimson red. Her bells tinkled as she nervously stared at her hands being seated at the edge of his bed.

And then the expected outburst.

"WHAT? Keep your shirt on you arrogant jerk!" Her bells rang as she violently motioned to tackle her annoyingly calm boss. But she never completed the task at hand as his serious tone stopped her in her tracks. And thus our somewhat slow little heroine of the story was once again successfully distracted by her boss.

"You were weird yesterday" It was as serious as when he gave the Mews their assignments for the Mew Mew Project, but slightly different.

"What?" She said again, confused and anger once again forgotten. "No I wasn't."

"Oh please Strawberry. You worked quietly without asking for a raise – "

"Well that's cuz I was so happy Masaya was there to help me." Ichigo interrupted.

"Right." Ryou continued, only half convinced. "You refused Keiichiro's pastries!"

"I had one - "

"Dear GOD, that's exactly what I'm talking about! What part of you wasn't weird?" Ryou said as if she just proved his point. "You didn't seem like yourself at all yesterday. But whatever, it's none of my concern."

They sat next to each other on the bed in silence. Ichigo seriously considered his arguments. Well, she had been pretty weird yesterday right? Why else would she have slipped into Shirogane's room and _not _yell at him for the first time? Granted he was sleeping, but why would she have cared if she had woken him up? Why would she have cared enough to tuck him in bed? And why, most of all, would his poem move her to tears when she had nothing to do with it?

"Maybe you're right." Hearing Ichigo say that for the first time was quite shocking, and Ryou could only stare at her.

"You're being weird again Ichigo. Stop that." He said, with slight annoyance in his tone.

_What's with this guy?_ She thought he'd be glad that she would agree with him. It was like a free victory through all those arguments.

"No…I wasn't at all weird yesterday." She decided if he was going to be like that, she might as well make it worth it. "That's just how I am around Masaya."

"Are you a baka? You can't even decide on what you think?" Ryou commented.

_Ahh. He pisses me off! He's never satisfied with anything I say. Although I really don't care as to what he thinks._ Only one word came to mind as she mentally scolded her boss: bipolar.

He sighed at her in disappointment. "You say that's how you are when you're around him, but that's not you at all."

"So Mr. Know-It-All, please tell me who I am, because apparently, I can't figure it out." She said sarcastically, angry that he thought he was in a position to make such a comment. She stuck her tongue at him.

Right. Not childish at all.

"You're rebellious, loud, lively. An honestly, you're a pig."

"SHIROGANE!" _HIS NERVE!_ But it really was her fault for setting it up so easily for him.

He continued, ignoring her. "Let me take that back, you're a cat. An Iriomote wildcat to be exact. You're transformed into a cat and back into a human when you're kissed."

"That's obvious so it doesn't count. Everyone knows that." She responded indignantly.

"Hmm, really?" He gave her an inquisitive look.

_Except Masaya._ "I mean everyone who knows about the Mew Project." She corrected herself. _No wait, that wasn't right either. _

"You're a fighter. You don't take things sitting down. And you're nothing like the 'dainty' koneko that Aoyama claims you are." He didn't know why he became so heated with this conversation, although his feelings were unreadable through his calm demeanor.

"Heyy" Ichigo began to say, somewhat offended. She knew his words had some truth in it, as reluctant as she was to admit it. Her face scrunched up into a small grimace.

"Well, maybe that's why you haven't kissed since the Dark Blue scenario." Ryou said, after remembering Ichigo in all her anger.

"Mo.." Ichigo pouted and crossed her arms.

"Just be yourself Strawberry." Ryou said as he stretched his arms and fell back into bed.

As Ichigo was letting herself out, she turned around and said "Shirogane?"

"Hm?" He was already dozing off.

"Arigato." She closed the door behind her, ears and tail long gone during the first serious conversation she ever had with Ryou. Leaning against it, she felt uneasy. Was Shirogane _actually_ being nice to her?


	4. Shirogane, the devil's spawn

I hope for the few people who are reading this, that you enjoy it! It didn't come out how I originally planned for it, but we'll see how it goes. I can't really tell how the story is flowing. Is it going too slow? Do the chapters connect? Do the personalities of the characters contradict at any point? Let me know please! It's just so difficult to tell with my own writing.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Shirogane, the Devil's spawn**

Upon waking from his peaceful slumber, Ryou felt refreshed. In fact, that was the best sleep he had in a long time. Apart from feeling well rested, however, there were two things that bothered him.

The first, most pressing issue at hand was the discovery of his feelings for Ichigo. No, that was impossible. He brushed it off as a moment of weakness. Now that he was rested and thinking clearly again, it was perfectly easy to reason out the confusion he had felt the night before. But he wanted to confirm it as he began questioning himself.

His feelings of dislike for Masaya? It was plainly personal dislike. No more, no less and it had no connection to Ichigo, whatsoever.

His desire to protect Ichigo more than anyone else? That was no more than his sense of responsibility over the one who suffered most from the Mew Project and the fact that she had been in fact, his first successful Mew.

Getting upset, no it was more like being bothered, by the fact that Ichigo hated to kiss him most of all? Well who wouldn't be upset, _no, bothered _(Ryou corrected himself), to be hated by anyone? And well, if it were the kisses, then what she said meant that he was a terrible kisser, which was something no one would like to be told.

Dwelling on her sweet scent, the look on her face and the feel of her lips? That one was a little more difficult. But it was likely and maybe even expected, for anyone to be at least a little affected by a kiss, and that's what happened to him.

How silly of Ryou to scare himself by thinking that he could remotely like that ditsy, thick-headed, stubborn brat! By the end of the internal argument, he had properly convinced himself that he was not at all in love and that he just had too much time on his hands now that the alien attacks were over. He had too much time to overthink things, and too much time free that he didn't know what to do with himself anymore. What he loved was to tease the girl, and for a brief moment of weakness, he mistook that as love _for_ the girl. When he properly calmed his fears, he resolved that he would get all sorts of stupid ideas about that baka strawberry out of his head by resorting back to his usual antics.

Now the second thought that had concerned Ryou was the series of dreams he had that night. Ichigo, having been so entirely swept off her feet by Masaya, had decided to move to England with him indefinitely in the dream. Yet, just as she was floating away, she transformed into his mother and the figure beside her, who was probably originally Masaya, became his father. Ryou clung onto his mother tightly in the dream and she in return, soothed him from his previously troubling thoughts. There was a quiet yet magical sound of the chime of bells. That was the first time that a dream of his parents did not include fierce flames swallowing them up.

At the recollection of the transformation Aoyama underwent, later emerging as Ryou's father, he gagged. Ugh. That would suggest some kind of resemblance to that irritatingly perfect guy. As for Ichigo's change, it wasn't entirely bad; absolutely bizarre, but not bad. Ryou wouldn't have minded if she had held him in that way. He began to wonder if he had some sort of Mama's boy complex for not being more disturbed by her transformation.

…And what he meant by that, he reasoned with himself, was that though he wouldn't _mind_ Ichigo holding him like that, he wasn't particularly wishing for it.

He gave a disgusted shudder at the thought at both the idea of possibly _liking _Ichigo and the meaning of the dream. One would really have to question the mental state, or at least personal tastes (_cross that, _he thought) of someone who had such an uncanny sickening dream. The perplexed blond pondered what was wrong with himself and wondered what it was that spurred on the random connection he made with Ichigo and his mother.

…Ichigo, whom he did not like, he made a mental note. Sighing, he also noted how entirely tiring this self debate was as he had only just admitted that he was smitten with the hyperactive catgirl so easily the night before. But of course he wasn't. He _couldn't_. He wasn't planning on being the fool who desperately hopes for a girl who was already taken by her ideal man. And so once again, he resolved to push away all thoughts of possibly liking Ichigo by teasing her, since it really was the teasing he liked, and not the girl.

And of course, the dreams of Ichigo, including the one that followed the weird mother transformed Ichigo, was simply because she was always around. She just happened to appear in his dream because he knew her in person.

The third part of the bizarro dream had to do with Ryou, obviously not in the right state of mind, deciding that he wanted to make sure Ichigo would not turn into a cat on her way to work. (He had always enjoyed watching the frantic cat running around.) Ichigo, never failing to be the thick-headed careless girl that he knew, had already turned into one before he even got there. He mildly recalled telling her that he'd stop kissing her and ran off, his primary purpose completely forgotten. That in itself was strange, and thus must have been a dream since there was no way Ryou would pass up the chance to kiss Ichigo. _To tease her of course!_

And near the end of that episodic dream, Ichigo had approached _him _to be kissed (yet again, more proof that it must have been a dream). And of course, he had only dreamed that because…because subconsciously, he did not want to stop teasing her. It manifested in his dream by having Ichigo approach him to convince him that it was fine to continue the kisses _to tease her_ _and nothing else!_

For a child genius, he was an idiot. Or in extreme self-denial.

Exasperated, and giving himself yet another headache, he continued analyzing the rest of his dream. He just barely recalled giving Ichigo relationship advice.

"Haha!" Ryou loosened up a bit. "For a moment there, I was scared that it could have been real." Although honestly, he didn't know which was worse: actually talking to Ichigo nicely, or dreaming about Ichigo at all.

The poor, entirely confused and completely love stricken Ryou went through this cycle everyday. He would wake up asserting to himself that he would never like that absurdly annoying girl and go to bed at night reluctantly accepting defeat. But today, his self-assurance of his utter dislike of the strawberry haired Mew failed a bit earlier than usual, in fact, in only moments upon waking up. He looked down at his hands, which at that moment, stung painfully.

He realized it had not been a dream at all, but a nightmare in reality! His sleek black vest covered his usually exposed chest when he had gone to sleep.

"Ugh" he groaned. Yet another piece of evidence he had actually _helped_ that stubbornly rebellious girl and that he had treated her kindly. Worst of all was the fact that he had even helped her get _closer_ to the very man that he abhorred. Not that he cared if they were getting closer.

Disgusted with himself, for he had acted in a way that brought Ichigo nearer to his true feelings, which he still tried very hard to deny, he was determined to act utterly vile. He really hadn't been mean enough to her before.

The last thing he wanted was for Ichigo, the girl who was beyond happily involved with her perfect boyfriend, the girl who would just simply laugh at his foolishness for his feelings when he knew he had no chance at all, to realize how pathetically in love he was with her. Really, there just no point in being in love with her, or kind to her, if that was how it was going to be. He'd rather keep his distance, watch her from the side and try to stop loving her or convince himself that he didn't.

For this reason, Ichigo's day was particularly tough.

* * *

Ichigo and the other Mews were already hard at work. Well, maybe just Ichigo.

It was noon and the café was especially packed because of Masaya's presence. Luckily for Ichigo, after she had been transformed back into human, Masaya chose to stay to help out with work. Perhaps it wasn't all that lucky considering he brought half the customers there thus his presence did little to reduce the amount of work Ichigo had to do, even if they were to split the work, but at least they could be together.

When Ichigo had returned downstairs as a human, Masaya gave her a silent nod, thinking she had successfully transformed back through the use of a machine that was very inconveniently kept only in Mew Mew Café. She thought of her conversation with her often haughty boss, though he didn't seem so bad today. And that's what scared her most of all.

That…concern for her, even if it was only a tiny trace of it, worried her. The sudden change, was that because of something she said yesterday? The brief look of pain in his eyes appeared in her mind, but it had been so fleeting, she couldn't be certain it had even been there at all. Why was he suddenly nice? Something must have happened.

It wasn't that she thought that he had a thing for her, no siree. That was the farthest thing from her mind. And it wasn't at all because _she_ was concerned about him that she was thinking this now. _Okay_, she admitted to herself, _maybe I am a tiny bit concerned_. But that was only because she had accidentally seen him in his vulnerability. _Oh well_, she hurriedly pushed away all thoughts of her blue-eyed boss.

Ichigo took an order from 3 male students, since all the females had asked specifically for Masaya to be their waiter and watched her boyfriend from afar. A year ago, he had seemed so distant from her, and now she could barely believe it! She had him all to herself. She couldn't help but to allow the stupidly dazed expression appear upon her face as she got lost in another typical daydream involving her and Masaya, watching the sunset on a beach. It wasn't the sunset they were paying attention to though, they were looking deeply in each other's eyes, just inches _inches_ away from each other…

Suddenly, she felt Masaya walk past her, accidentally brushing by her bare arms. "Nya?" Before she even realized what had happened, the oh-so-familiar 'POP!' could be heard.

"GET TO WORK BAKA!" Ryou's voice unfortunately brought her to her senses, away from the romantic scene at the beach and the warmth…of Masaya's skin against hers.

"Okay, nya!" With a gigantic smile plastered to her face, Ichigo went to work.

"Faster!" The blue-eyed slave driver from hell said. "Table 6!" He was tapping his foot impatiently. "The OTHER Table 6. Good god woman, that's a 9! Are you an idiot?"

"STOP CAL-" Ichigo stopped midsentence. Masaya was there. How could she show such an outburst? He was the perfect boyfriend who absolutely could not be seen with a sloppy and loud girlfriend. She couldn't measure up to him if she didn't have some control over herself.

"You were saying?" Ryou raised an eyebrow at her, expecting the usual screams.

She glared at him silently shooting him razor sharp stares. So much for feeling concerned.

"No time for that Baka. Customers are waiting." Ugh, he was right.

Ryou settled himself comfortably at Mint's table, joining her for tea. "Yo Baka, get some more tea here and some pastries too while you're at it." Mint watched Ichigo expectantly and when the agitated redhead looked back at Mint, all she saw was a do-what-your-boss-said look and an annoyingly smug grin coming from her so-called bestfriend.

"Get it yourself! I only serve customers." Ichigo was thoroughly ticked off. For a fleeting second, she had almost thought her boss from hell maybe wasn't _that _bad. She had even felt sympathy for him. Ha! That was like saying Satan wasn't the Lord of Evil.

Ryou simply lifted up his two arms, exposing the extremely scarred backhand side of both hands and his scratched arms from his victorious battle with Ichigo that morning. "I'm too injured to get it myself." He began. He folded his arms against the back of his neck, leaned against the chair casually and said "I don't think Aoyama would like for his girlfriend to be so violent…Pity that such a cute and innocent looking kitten would do such a thing." He tsked and offered a narrow grin.

Her jaw dropped. She had completely forgotten about that. Ugh. Shirogane was truly her boss from hell and it'd be a mistake to forget that for even a second. She was supremely agitated, wishing that she had left him with more scratches that morning. Scowling all the way there, she made her way to the kitchen.

When she had found the tealeaves, she placed them in the teapot and poured boiling water inside. She heard the kitchen door open just as she finished. Probably just Keiichiro, the only other person in the café who did any work and the person who actually listened to her Shirogane-is-a –jerk-to-the-10th-power speeches. "Akasaka-san, can you get some pastries ready? The successor of the underworld will otherwise tip the very fine balance of my relationship with Masaya" She headed toward the fridge for milk, with her back still facing the door.

"Ohh, so you two aren't getting along very well?" Ichigo's strawberry colored bangs slapped her against her face as she spun around to find her reviled boss. In an instant, he was already inches from her face, lips about to meet. POP, the familiar sound could be heard. But she ignored it and closed her eyes. It wasn't as if she was accepting the kiss by doing that- it was just, if he was going to do it anyway, it was better to get it over with right?

"Masaya…" she mumbled. Masaya was right outside. Her lips trembled. How could Shirogane do this to her?

She could almost taste his vanilla sweet breath being so close to him. And then…then she felt the all too familiar FLICK! against her forehead.

"Oww!" she cried in surprise, opening her eyes.

"Still haven't kissed that Aoyama? It's a little sad when you have to pretend you're kissing him."

"Excuse me?" she said, a little bit confused. What he said came as a surprise and it didn't fully sink in yet. She looked at him, cocking her head to one side as if questioning him. His eyes were cold as usual.

"Later Strawberry." He walked away from her with a posture confidently arrogant. Oh, she'd definitely be coming after him in

3…

"Uh…what just happened?" she asked herself cluelessly.

2…

"Shirogane?" Somehow, he always managed to distract, confuse or diverge her from the situation at hand.

1…

"NANI?! GET BACK HERE YOU JERK! What goes on between me and him has NOTHING to do with you!" she chased after the figure that just left the kitchen. "And I'm not so pathetic that I'd have to _pretend _it would happen. Are you listening you – "

She never managed to finish her thought since Ryou managed to pull her as she emerged from the door and corner her against the wall.

A smirk curled from a corner of his lips. It was clearly and plainly visible to her. She knew what was coming.

"Seemed like you really wanted me to kiss you there Strawberry." He said in a whisper.

"What?! That-that's absurd!" Ichigo sputtered, ears and tails very much visible, having popped out once again when Ryou had managed to pin her against the wall. Sure he was absolutely gorgeous _and_ had a hot body, but there was absolutely no way in hell she wanted to kiss the spawn of Satan.

"Oh really?" Ryou challenged. He propped himself up against the wall with one arm above her head.

"Nya-ni?" She said a bit shocked. Did he just read her mind? How did he do that? She stopped for a moment, considering whether she had ever heard of the Devil with mindreading powers. Then she suddenly realized that he had only been responding to what she said a few seconds before.

He inched closer towards her. What could she do? If she screamed, yelled or resisted in any way, Masaya was sure to notice them. And Masaya was her love, obsession and life! She didn't dare jeopardize her relationship with him (Ironic how _not _kissing Ryou would do that, not that she was using weird twisted logic to get to that conclusion). She couldn't possibly get out of the situation either as Ryou's arms surrounded her.

And closer. Well, it couldn't really be that bad right? It's not like they haven't kissed before. And no matter how big of a jerk Ryou was, he was still incredibly attractive. Besides, he was the one forcing this on her. It didn't make much of a difference if she resisted or not.

And even closer. Wait, it would matter and very much so! What if she turned into a cat again?

Oh to hell with it, she couldn't possibly get away now, although she had already convinced herself that earlier, before she was stuck in that compromising (or at least, comparatively more compromising) situation. She closed her eyes and waited. For it to be over, of course. She most certainly wasn't waiting for him to kiss her.

She felt the contact of his lips. She was expecting it, but it still shocked her. And although she never actually encouraged the kiss, she didn't pull away either. She just let him. She opened her mouth just enough to let his tongue explore the edges of her lips.

Just when she felt like she couldn't take much more, he pulled away leaving her gasping for air. Wow. He looked at Ichigo briefly as she blushed even more fervently beneath his gaze and offered, once again, his all too familiar smirk.

"Hmm…strawberries," Ryou said in a low murmur.

Ichigo's ears folded over and the bell on her tail tinkled lightly. She couldn't look him in the eye.

"Darn. I guess I wasn't able to turn you completely into a cat." He shrugged. "Later" He walked off casually as if nothing had happened at all.

"Sh-Shi-Shirogane!" She called after him. What was that now? He had just been messing with her?! Not that she cared, considering she was still completely in love with her impeccable boyfriend. She certainly wasn't so angry because Shirogane had just done that in jest. Impossible! She was just angry at the fact that he had done it at all, Really!

_What was going on through that head of his anyway? One minute, he's almost nice then he's a playboy and then a complete jerk!_ Of course that was the primary reason to why Ichigo was so angry. It couldn't be because she was still thinking about it and how the taste of vanilla still lingered in her mouth. And it was most certainly not at all because she had actually enjoyed the kiss, though she would never admit to such a horrendous fact.

As Ichigo was debating whether to storm upstairs and knock the living daylights out of her snobbishly, overly conceited egotistical boss, (no it was more like beat him until he would no longer see the light of day), Ryou was already upstairs within his room, unaware of the vast amount of time the thickheaded, stubbornly annoying baka catgirl spent looking for the same number of words to describe him.

Ryou headed for the shower; his safe haven from troubling thoughts. This was great wasn't it? He was getting all the lip-locking action without the emotional risk of a rejection. He sighed in dismay.

Then why did he feel so miserable? He turned up the cold water, trying to numb his body from any feelings.

* * *

"How may I be of service, nya?" Ichigo said cheerfully, still fully adorned with black ears and tail. Mint had managed to pull her back to work despite the fact that the blue-haired girl did nothing of the sort herself.

Lettuce had been, once again, breaking numerous plates and Mint realized that Masaya could not compensate for the regression in work from both Pudding and Lettuce. Zakuro was present today, but she was not scaring enough customers to balance the number of those who came in due to Masaya. And this was the reason Mint decided to stay out of it altogether. She may not have been working, but at least she wasn't doing any damage; she wasn't physically breaking plates, and she wasn't damaging the café's reputation or reducing the amount of customers like Zakuro.

Ichigo had to admit, Mint had a valid point and it really was too busy to argue. Although she really wished Mint had taken the time to look at her before pulling her away into the crowd of customers.

"Oh, what a cute costume!" The woman in formal business attire commented on her ears and tail.

"Thank you nya!" The woman then proceeded to adjust her glasses and surveyed the cat girl in her café dress. "Ano.." Ichigo shifted about uneasily. What was with this woman? Maybe she should let her know that she has a boyfriend?

"I'll be back later when you're ready to order nya!" Ichigo ran off nervously, blazing red hair trailing behind her as she made her escape into the kitchen.

"Zakuro! What are you doing here?"

"Taking a break." She answered blandly. The kitchen door opened, and in walked Keiichiro. "Is she gone yet?" Zakuro asked him.

"She won't be able to recognize you." He responded calmly. "Your personality here does not reflect that of the famous idol Zakuro at all. You've nothing to worry about."

Zakuro groaned. Ichigo had never seen her so nervous before. "Of course she will!" She made an incoherent noise under her breath.

"She's not here for you. Most likely, she is only here to purchase our pastries. We've already dealt in the past. I must say, I was extremely pleased that they enjoyed the batch of new products we delivered the other day."

"Ano...Zakuro. If it bothers you that much, I can distract her to help you sneak out the back." Ichigo offered.

"Thank you Ichigo. I'll accept the offer." Although she sounded as casual as always, she breathed out a huge sigh of relief.

"It's that woman in the blue rimmed glasses and sleek suit." Zakuro pointed.

Was that the same creepy lady from before?! Ugh. And to think the cat girl had run to the kitchen specifically to avoid her. But she had already promised Zakuro, and had no choice. "Zakuro, it's perfect. She's already my customer." Having heard that, Zakuro suddenly and very unexpectedly pushed the unsuspecting Ichigo to deal with the predator.

She walked nervously to the table, with pen and paper in hand. "What will be your order miss?"

"Oh it's you again. Where's your costume?" the woman in the blue-rimmed glasses asked.

"I just changed out of it. It was uh…getting itchy." Ichigo forced a smile. Was that a good idea, telling a customer that she had been itchy? Maybe suggesting that she may have fleas wasn't the best of all ideas. Whelp, it wasn't like she knew those were actual cat ears.

"They were cute. The café should consider using those as part of your uniform. It'd attract a crowd of boys." She laughed lightly.

_Phew, so she wasn't just checking me out._ The redhead thought, now at ease.

"This is a nice little café, but it could go for a bit of live entertainment." The woman watched Ichigo carefully. "My name's Sora Sukai, what's yours?"

"I'm Ichigo Momomiya." She smiled. Ichigo, now feeling much less threatened by the woman reverted back into her old cheerful self.

"So what do you think about entertainment?" Sora asked

"That'd be nice." Ichigo answered simply. She didn't know exactly why this woman was asking her. Probably to make conversation?

"Tell you what. If you go up on that platform and do something entertaining- it can be anything, and you manage to get at least 30 people in this room to clap for you, I'll tip you an amount equal to double the pay you get a day." She looked at Ichigo directly without flinching. Her word was true.

"Excu-" WHOA. Money was her weakness. Not always, but only when she needed it, which included now. Considering how many times Ichigo begged Ryou for a raise and how she was blatantly refused each time while being tricked into even more work, this proposition took no time at all for her to make a decision on.

She grabbed a microphone within the rubble of things she found in the storage room, and ran immediately in front of the customers. "Good afternoon to everyone!" she said through the echoing microphone. The mews stopped their work, or at least what they were doing and the customers began stirring with hushed excitement.

Ryou heard the booming voice of that Mew that got on his nerves so much. Her voice emanated through the floor. "What's that baka doing now?" he wondered. He put on a shirt and headed downstairs.


	5. The Road to Stardum dum

**Complete!** I was originally going to include another part to this but I've decided to split it into two chapters There haven't been that many additions to this chapters since I last updated, but here it is in full! Enjoy reading.

**I know I've been updating at lightning speed since I've began this story but I think the updates will be going a lot more slowly after the next chapter or so. **There are a couple of reasons for this. First, I'm really having a hard time trying to tell if the story flows properly. I feel their a bunch of separate stories forced to be considered 1 story, so I'll take some time to try to connect them more. Secondly, I've had a pretty idea where to go with this up to maybe the next two chapters, but it somehow turned out a bit slower than I thought and I can't really tell if the plot seems like it's too slow or if there is any underlying plot. So mostly, I need to reconsider my writing style, and try to put the scattered pieces of the story together.

Thank you all for the support.

* * *

**Chapter 5****: The Road to Stardum dum **Part I (this is not a typo) , Ichigo plus Shirogane equals Upstage Comedy

"Ehem" she said through the microphone, silencing the crowd. All eyes were on her. Ryou watched from his usual spot; he leaned casually against the wall at the entrance of the hallway, expression hidden in the shadows.

He watched as her eyes gleamed, staring off into the distance. Her mouth curved up into a giant smile. That stupid expression was plastered on her face again; the one he was all too familiar with when she seemed not quite there and looked as if she was ready to let a huge wad of saliva drip out of the corner of her mouth.

Even the notorious Ryou Shirogane, well remembered for his lack of emotions, could not stop himself from shuddering in utter disgust.

He must have been blind if he thought he had been in love. That quick shower sure cleared his vision. Still watching the incompetent redhead wearing the ceaseless expression of stupidity on her face, he finally decided to pull her back to reality and away from her daydream of who knows what. Well, he had an idea, considering she always looked like that when thinking of her Mr. Perfect. Not that he cared.

Oh, how very wrong he was. Ichigo, who at other times may have possibly been viewed as being pretty and who now looked more detached from that image than from the image of a drooling madman (or madwoman in this case), was in fact fantasizing about the life of an idol.

"Hehehehe…" Ugh. Ryou could take no more of this.

"BAKA" he yelled out to her. He saw her expression finally return to normal, and not a moment too soon since the customers had began to stir, uncertain of what to make of the situation. She looked so moronic, it was almost funny. Almost.

"Huh?" she murmured as her eyes returned their focus back on the crowd. A rosy tint crept up upon her cheeks. He had after all, publicly declared her idiocy to the entire crowd as they watched silently and attentively, even if it was true. She puffed up her cheeks and Ryou prepared for the usual response of screams and wails.

Strange. It didn't come. And he saw why. She was looking at Masaya who watched her from one of the tables with a smile.

"Delivery. Now." Whatever that idiot had planned on doing, she was still on her working shift. The crowd of customers remained hushed as no one knew exactly where this was going.

"What?!" She exclaimed, eyes opened wide. "You…you just stole my spotlight!" she accused as she was completely unaware that the crowd was still paying very much attention to her. Muffled sounds of quiet snickering could be heard.

"Uh…" She really was unbelievable. "Pastries don't deliver themselves, Strawberry."

"Send someone else. I'm trying to make some money here!" Ichigo cried indignantly.

"Then why aren't you working?" Ryou jeered at her. The muffled snickers became louder.

He really couldn't understand what Ichigo was trying to do. Exasperated, he questioned her. "Are you pretending to be a moron, or are you really one?" Sometimes he truly wondered whether it was possible to be this slow naturally without pretending to be. This was of course, because Ryou did not know about the little challenge sent to Ichigo by the blue-rimmed glasses lady. Otherwise, it would have made perfect sense as to why the thick-skulled redhead was trying to earn money by specifically not working like he told her to.

At this point, the audience laughed openly. Though scattered, there were sounds of chuckles, snickers and laughter. They kept their focus on the scene.

Masaya watched his girlfriend open her mouth as if to say something and suddenly shut it again. He had not known why she had disappeared and suddenly reappeared with a microphone in hand, but she had seemed excited. And by golly, he was not going to sit by and watch Ryou make an idiot out of sweet Ichigo. Masaya didn't like the way Ryou made her speechless nor did he like the fact that Ichigo's face was now tinted red. It reminded him too much of how he had been the one to make Ichigo quiet from nervousness, even if Ryou hadn't done it in the exact same way.

"I'll go" Masaya offered. Ichigo had seemed like she really wanted to do this and he wanted to support her. The teary eyed girl beamed at her reliable boyfriend. Masaya smiled in return, glad to be the one to help her in need.

"Clock's ticking." Ryou muttered as he stared blankly at Masaya, annoyed for reasons he would never admit. "If you want to save the baka's job, you better hurry." Without another word, Masaya ran over to the box Ryou was pointing to, and gave Ichigo a final nod before running out to make the delivery.

Ryou's work was done. He had to admit it to himself, it went better than he had hoped. Not only did he get all romantic thoughts of the redheaded Mew from his head, he also got rid of that aggravating Aoyama. On top of that, he even managed to publicly humiliate the girl, thus reasserting that he had absolutely no feelings for her. Although that was a little redundant.

"SHIROGANE!" Her eyes were twitching and her cheeks were bright red.

Darn. He had forgotten Aoyama had kept her in check.

"What's up tomato face?" Ryou replied calmly, though honestly, he was a bit worried that he was about to experience the release of two days worth of accumulated rage from the Ultimate Queen of Hissyfits, with extra emphasis on the _Hiss_ considering she _did _have wildcat DNA in her. (For the two straight days that Aoyama had decided to help her with work.) That was bad. Two days? He counted with his fingers. That's like nine…no twelve arguments compacted into one! Ryou was beginning to regret not choosing a more peaceful animal to infuse with her. Maybe something like a turtle.

"TOMATO FACE?" she screeched. Of course, by this time, Ichigo had completely forgotten about the crowd. She owed Ryou so many punches that she had failed to give him before.

Cross that. Turtles can bite. Maybe a tomato instead. He gave in to a subtle smirk, playing with the idea that he would be calling her Tomato instead of Strawberry all the time. Strawberries really were too sweet for her character.

"Well, Baka, I was going to go for 'Strawberry' " he said in reference to her rosy complexion, "but your face was so much redder than that today." He smirk curled up just a little more, into a narrow grin.

"AND STOP CALLING ME BAKA!" Ichigo's voice boomed through the café. The microphone remained useless in her hands. Except for the fact that she now brought it above her head as if she was charging up, and then finally chucked it at Ryou who stood across the room.

"ARGRGRRROARAHH" She screamed incoherently.

Having caught the microphone Ryou lifted it up to his mouth and spoke. "Okay Strawberry, I'll stop calling you Baka if you can prove that you aren't one."

Her eyes widened a bit in surprise. That didn't sound right. He would actually stop?

"So how big is your brain, baka?"

"Ginormous!" She replied. She heard a bit of laughter in the background but chose to ignore it.

He rolled his eyes at her. "No, I mean, exactly how big is it?" Truthfully, he was beginning to enjoy himself. As soon as he had managed to get Ichigo to stop the pointless screaming, teasing her became fun again. And though he would never admit it, he couldn't help but to think that some of her responses _were _a bit cute at times.

Ichigo took a minute as if in thought and then brightened up into a smile. While he enjoyed her scowls as well, he really did prefer her smiling. And that was solely because, as he reasoned with himself, scowling often comes with shrieking and a series of loud incoherent noises while a simple smile was quiet. It had nothing to do with love. Absolutely not.

"I know this," she said, thinking she had finally found a way for him to stop calling her an idiot. "I learned it in school." Her smile widened and in a self-satisfied grin, she clasped one hand into a fist and held it up for all to see. Meanwhile, there were scattered sounds of stifled laughter.

Oh dear God. She _was _an idiot. How in the heavens did he even consider the thought that he was in love with her?

Ryou had to use every bit of his effort to avoid smacking his face with his hand. After a moment of staring straight at her chocolate-brown eyes in silence, he sighed, and began walking up to the platform where she stood.

When he was only inches away from her, he finally reached up at her raised fist with his left hand, and gently brought it down to her chest. He crept closer and closer to her, noting the increase of color in her face. Ryou kept his eyes focused on hers while still holding her delicate hand. She didn't move as he brought his left hand around the back of her head, brushing his fingers lightly against her neck. She gave a little shiver. That had to be a purely involuntary action from the physical touch, like when one just naturally pulls away from hot objects because, as Ryou knew all too well, she could not possibly be enjoying this since _he _wasn't the one she loved. But it wasn't as though he cared.

Her strawberry colored lips trembled, not that he had been thinking of how they would taste. She really was quite beautiful up close and not all that bad when she was silent. She closed her eyes as if waiting. But Ryou didn't kiss her.

Instead, he brought his lips closer to her ears and hovered in that position for a brief moment, certain that she could feel him exhale his warm breath onto her cheek. Her eyes were still closed and he could feel her rosy colored cheeks emanating heat _all because of him_. Not that he was especially happy about that, even though his heart leapt at the thought, mind you. He finally leaned over to her ear, his heart racing, and took a light nibble.

POP! He heard. How he loved that sound and the fuzzy ears and tail that came with it. Oh how he longed to rub her cute ears! To tease her of course, he reasoned.

Then, pulling away from her as if he had not been in the least bit affected, because of course his racing pulse had nothing to do with Ichigo, he spoke very loudly into the microphone for everyone to hear.

"That's the size of your heart Baka." Ryou grinned. "Well, unless you really are confessing finally, that your brain is only a fourth of the size of a normal one which just so happens to be what I've been telling you all this time."

The customers could no longer hold back as they roared with laughter.

"Nya?" She looked a little hurt but more so, dazed. _Really, as if she'd be hurt over something silly like that_ Ryou thought. That'd imply that what he did _meant _something to her. As if that'd happen.

She looked completely helpless and confused as she looked over at the customers; some were tugging at their belly laughing, others were bent over gasping for air.

Ryou saw the shade of red on her cheeks deepen. She looked down at the floor.

"It's not all that bad Baka. Maybe they're laughing _with _you." Ryou was standing calmly and though he did have that annoying smirk on his face, he showed no traces of laughing. But that was expected, as he was the king of emotionless jerks.

"I hate you." Her voice was low but he heard it.

Feeling a sudden need to make her feel a little better because he was just that nice of a person and not at all because he felt a slight pang of pain upon hearing her trembling voice, he gave her the same piece of advice he gave earlier that day.

"Just be you."

Her eyes were shimmering with a layer of moist tears that had yet to fall. "Close your eyes," He whispered gently. As if utterly defeated, she made no motion of resistance. He lifted his hand to her face and wiped away the unfallen tears. It wasn't that he had felt especially bad when Ichigo was crying. He just hated to see any girl cry, and now he wouldn't have to see it.

"If it's you" he continued "any bad situation can be fixed." That was how he truly felt about her; if it was her, any mess within his life would just…cease.

_Now where was the counterargument to that?_ He mentally berated himself into getting into something he couldn't reason his way through.

He heard the bells chime as she raised her head to look at him, a little surprised by what he said. Finally, after an awkward moment of staring at each other in silence, she grabbed the microphone from his hand.

"SHIROGANE!" she said, pumping her fists into the air while pouting as if she was angry. Ryou couldn't tell if she really was, as he was so surprised from the sudden change. Wow, that really did seem like the typical Baka though.

She glared at him, a frighteningly daring look as she challenged him. Okay, so maybe she really was mad. He would never understand exactly what went on in that fist-sized brain of hers.

"You're-the-meanest-most-satanic-jerk-of-a-boss-ever!" her cheeks were flustered as she had said that all in one breath. "Now give ME MY RAISE!"

The blond haired boss eyed her suspiciously. She was planning something. He wasn't sure whether or not to feel uneasy. "No." he responded blandly, waiting to see what she would do.

"But I do more work than anyone else!" she was using that agitating screechy voice again. Ugh. Really, she was only just bearable when she didn't talk at all. To think he had almost thought he had some sort of _thing_ for her. He fought off the desire to shudder, once again, in utter disgust. "And and and, I don't break anything! I don't waste more money breaking things than I earn from the customers." she continued in the same way. "I don't scare off the customers. AND I don't drink away half the stock of tea!"

Okay, so there was some truth in that, he admitted, even if it was presented in all her high-pitched whining glory. And even he had to smile at some of the witty things she said. Ryou felt her nudge his arm with her elbow but he shrugged her off, a bit annoyed. Nudge. There it was again. What the hell was she thinking? That repeated attempts of meaningless nudging would get her a raise? "No."

"Hsssskkggahhk" he heard a strangely disturbing sound somewhere between a wildcat hissing and gagging. Her once pretty little cat ears propped up as she suddenly managed to make them seem twice as large. The furs stood on end and she appeared quite menacingly wild.

He finally understood upon seeing her, that is, right after he jumped in place. They had to find _some_ way to cover up for the sudden appearance of her ears and tail. He had forgotten about that but the baka had somehow remembered. For a baka, she wasn't dimwitted all the time.

"Now don't throw a hissyfit you over exaggerating disappointment of an employee," he said what Ichigo wanted him to, adding a bit of his own spice to it. Interesting how she had came up with the same thing he had thought of earlier. Although honestly, it was a little frightening to even consider comparing himself with that moron.

"YOU'RE the one who turned me into a cat!" Her pretend anger was pretty good, although Ryou was pretty sure she used some of her genuine pent up anger at him too.

"I'm still not giving you a raise." Ryou responded.

"Give her a raise! Give her a raise!" the customers yelled out.

He watched her amusingly. So there was ulterior motive behind that ploy to cover up her cat features. She had somehow won the crowd in the process. That was pretty clever, he admitted reluctantly. Well, she was still a baka, though she may have been the smartest of them.

The redhead turned her attention to the customers. "Did you all enjoy yourself, nya?" He saw her forced smile, which few people were able to notice. He could now see clearly the expression of pain returning to her eyes. He _had_ hurt her, there was no question about it. For a moment, she even had him tricked with her act too. Although he knew she hadn't been genuinely angry at him when they played their little skit, he also failed to notice the feeling of pain that was hidden so well.

"Yeah!", "That was great!" cried random voices in the audience. "We didn't know this was a comedy club!"

"I'm glad you liked it nya! If you guys had fun, please clap your hands!" She said. Ryou watched her maintaining that sad smile, which was still beautiful because it came from her.

The crowd went wild and the café roared with laughter and applause. The cafe was full of voices chattering about the performance as the two performers lost their attention.

Ryou watched as the Ichigo approached him, shoved the microphone back in his hand and ran off the platform. Girls were just So moody. He couldn't understand what she was thinking. One minute she was weird stiffled Ichigo, annoying whines and screechy screams absent; in the next minute, she was back to her loud rebellious ways. Just when she seems fine and dandy, she brings out that depressing smile and then suddenly pulls an "I'm-too-pissed-to-talk-to-you" walk while shoving an innocent microphone that was unlucky enough to just happen to be in her hand at the moment. Not that he cared about that airhead, only maybe, just _maybe_ a little concerned.

Ignoring all thoughts of what could have possibly possessed him to do this, he ran after Ichigo with the microphone still in hand.

* * *

Hm. I can't really tell if that whole thing was funny enough to have the customers laugh. I tried to make it funny but I didn't know if it was laugh out loud type of funny. It'd be really helpful if you guys let me know so I can fix it up. Was it weird? Did I seem to force the audience to laugh when it really wasn't funny enough?

I had fun writing this part and really from close to the beginning of the chapter, I was planning to have that whole fist sized brain thing because it came from personal experience (You could say I was the Ryou,or one of the Ryous, but i wasn't as mean about it). That's why I'm wondering if it sounded too forced and whether or not it was as funny on paper as it was in real life.


	6. A Second Performance!

Wow, this turned out to be longer than I expected. I didn't even get to finish everything I wanted to write too ; So I guess Road to Stardum dum will have a part 3! Yay, more lightning speed chapter updates! I had fun writing this although I was a little stuck at the beginning. Anyway, I tried to connect a few things together even though I just mentioned them briefly, I hoped this would make it seem like one big story instead of a bunch of little ones.

Please read and review! Let me know if they stay in character. I was trying to throw a little more meaness into Ryou last chapter cuz he was trying to be more mean in order to forget Ichigo, but I hope I didn't go overboard so that it didn't seem like him anymore. **There's a lot less comedy in this chapter and more drama.** I don't want the whole story to be too serious, so let me know which kind of writing style you prefer. **Light hearted, witty humor or dramatic, heartwrenching angst?**

Thanks for the support guys and keep on reading!

* * *

**Chapter 6****: A Second Performance  
**

Ichigo sat motionless in the kitchen with her forehead against the cold feel of the tabletop. Her bright red hair flung limply from her head, completely hiding her face as she sat faced down. She just needed a moment to herself.

She didn't understand why she was so upset herself. Certainly Ryou's actions were cause for distress, but what he had done today was no different from any other day.

The redhead in distress reflected back on the series of events that had occurred within the few hours of morning. The kiss early morning that transformed her back into a human, followed by a very smug expression on his face was typical Shirogane. And she had given him her typical Ichigo response – threats of certain death. While she had been quite riled up by that, she was in no way emotionally upset by it.

So exactly when was it that she began to be affected like this? Ichigo raised her head a few inches from the table and let it fall again.

The kiss. The one where she had been pinned to the wall and hadn't made a single move to get away. Oh God, why hadn't she resisted? It was…something. Sure they had kissed a bunch of times before but it always began or ended with her transforming into a cat. Why hadn't she changed into one this time? And she was almost certain she felt something with that kiss…from him that is, because there was no way in heaven, hell, or Earth did she feel anything for him.

But maybe she had only felt something, _from him _she noted to herself_,_ because she had seen him asleep that night, looking so vulnerable. Maybe it was because that poem she read revealed to her that he had more depth to him than she previously thought he was capable of.

And yet, even that kiss had not upset her like this. Just exactly what was happening to her? Ichigo groaned and motioned to smack her head into the table yet another time. She was just over thinking things. It was simple really. She was just angry that she had been publicly humiliated. Sure, he always teased her and embarrassed her, but now all the customers at the café had been witnesses to it. But then again, hadn't they always been?

She shook her head fervently still faced down. What on Earth that is all good and holy was so different about today than any other day she was teased by her cruel boss?

_That nibble_. Since when did he EVER nibble? Ichigo shuddered with disgust, or maybe with the unwelcomed delight she felt when he had done it. But she shouldn't have been affected at all because it was just another one of those things he did to get on her nerves.

And so, she continued her mental string of thoughts all the while, continuously banging her already mixed up head against the hard table top.

She heard the kitchen door open, but made no motion from her position.

"Ichi – " It was Ryou's voice. He put down the microphone on the table and motioned to sit beside her. He opened his mouth to speak again.

"Go away" the red blob of hair on the table said, before he could continue.

He ignored her and took a deep breath. "Strawberry," he said gently.

She just couldn't stand to hear his voice right now, especially when it sounded so kind.

"I'm sorry" he whispered awkwardly, hands in his pockets as he looked away. He wasn't much of one to apologize and he found the words a little difficult to say.

She stirred just a bit, her head still down, but Ryou noticed and continued speaking.

"I don't know what I did. I mean exactly why are you upset anyway?" Ryou asked her. He honestly had no idea what was going on in her head.

_So much for being gentle you jerk. The nerve. _She couldn't answer him because she didn't know and that was what bothered her most of all. In all the times he had teased her, being angry was easy and it came naturally. But being upset, now that was new to her.

"I can't stand you." She said flatly.

"But you never could. So why are you acting so different today?" Ryou asked, his tone a little less cold than usual.

"Why are _you_ acting so different today?" the redhead finally looked up.

"What are you talking about?" the blond asked, a little taken back. She really had no idea, but talking to him was helping her sort it out. "I wasn't." He tried to deny it, but maybe she had caught on to it.

"I don't know, I guess you just seemed a little meaner than usual." She watched his expression and was surprised to see it change just a bit. It was subtle but she saw it.

He hadn't really acted that much meaner than usual and he hadn't actually acted much different aside from how he had teased her with the kiss and nibble. But somehow, she felt that _that_ in itself was cruel. Besides, he didn't just lightly tap her lips with his own as he usually did; he had given a deeper kiss – one that shouldn't have been passed off as being casual, though it seemed that he had.

"Oh just forget about it. I'm just angry at myself." She blurted randomly. She had not really considered what she was saying since she was only trying to get rid of him as soon as possible. But when she thought about it, it did make sense. Wasn't she really just upset with herself for reacting to the nibble the way that she did? She couldn't help herself but shiver at the contact of his fingers against her neck in the instant he took away the purity of her innocent ear.

But most of all, she was upset because she felt like she had betrayed Masaya who remained completely faithful. And she hated Ryou's cruelty for seeming sincere at some moments and then acting like the complete jerk she had always known him to be at the next.

"Strawberry," her blue-eyed boss interrupted her thoughts. "I'll stop calling you a baka if you really mind that much. You're not a baka. You're just uhh.." He paused, uncertain whether she could handle anything that remotely resembled teasing, but continued anyway, "…dumb."

"What?" her voice was uncertain. Her eyebrows scrunched up as she displayed an utterly confused look. He was unsure how she was taking it, until he heard her speak again. "What's a dumm? Is that some sort of random word only a genius would know?"

Goodness. Maybe she really was just plain dumb, though she did sound a bit cute. But since Ichigo was being the emotional girl that she was at the moment, he decided that maybe more teasing was not the best idea. He had only done it to make her feel better in his Ryou-contorted method of cheering people up but soon realized that he should bring the conversation in a different direction. As he didn't really want to lead the conversation into another series of shrieks and wails, and even worse now, the danger of a depressed redhead, he headed to the counter drawer and rummaged through it.

Ichigo watched curiously as her usually cold boss stuck his arm into the drawer until only his shoulders were visible. He seemed to be reaching behind the end of the drawer, rather than searching through it. She was surprised to see his expression light up suddenly, as she had rarely seen any expression on his face rather than the cold unfeeling one she was used to.

"Ahh, here it is" he smiled. It was strange seeing an expression like that on his face, Shirogane – the supposed soulless jerk of all time. He pulled out a bag of lollipops and offered one to Ichigo. "Strawberry, dumdum?

Her face brightened up, just like a crying child who is soothed by candy. Well that was easy. Ryou allowed a smirk of amusement creep onto his face; it wasn't at all like his normally smug ones.

Just as quickly as her expression lit up, she gave a slight frown. "Wait a minute. Did you just call me a Strawberry dumdum?" she asked while looking at the strawberry flavored lollipop. "Or were you asking me if I wanted a strawberry dumdum?" She began to pout.

"Neither." The blonde responded calmly, reverting back to his old demeanor. As his strawberry was no longer acting strange, he found no need to continue being so uncharacteristically kind.

"I was asking you, Strawberry, whether you wanted a dumdum. Although I do like the sound of the new nickname, Strawberry dumdum." He patted her on the head and waited for her to offer him the usual shrieks, which he wouldn't have minded at that point since it would only reaffirm that she was no longer upset.

"Hahaha" she laughed, unexpectedly. "Say that again." She was grabbing her stomach, trying to stop herself from laughing at how ridiculous her supposedly cool boss sounded when he said 'dumdum.' Baby speech really didn't suit him.

"Excuse me?" Ryou asked, thoroughly confused. He rarely understood the minds of bak – wait no, it was…a dumdum. He blushed slightly, though he tried to hide it, as he worked out his thought in his head. Dumdum did sound really silly.

"Ooh! Shirogane, is that a little pink I see?" she teased, chuckling as she pointed to his face.

"Hmm." He attempted his signature smirk. He tried to shift her attention from his blush, since Ryou Shirogane was not one to get be embarrassed. "Shall I call you Strawberry dumdum instead of Baka?"

"It's fine. Hearing you..haha.. say Strawberry dumdum..hahaha.. would ..make it too hard for me HAHAHA..to get mad at you." She took a moment to catch her breath and to calm herself before she continued. "I'd probably end up laughing to death and forgetting that I should be beating you up." She said. Unable to hold it in any longer, she bent over laughing uncontrollably with one arm on the chair for support.

"Alright baka." That sounded much more like the Shirogane she knew, though his rosy complexion was quite unlike his usual self. "I'll say both then."

"OH!" She stood up in sudden recollection, all laughter forgotten. She ran out of the kitchen without a word leaving a very perplexed Ryou behind.

He followed her out the kitchen door curious as to what could have suddenly distracted her, though honestly the fact that she was once against distracted was not surprising.

His Strawberry dumdum was talking to a female customer – a professional looking woman in her late twenties. Well, of course she'd be _his _strawberry dumdum considering he had just shared with her his secret stash of dumdum lollipops, which was unknown to even Keiichiro. Ryou shook his head frantically, as the golden strands of his hair swayed from side to side. No, what he had meant was that it was because no one else would call her that. It hadn't meant anything when he thought of the strawberry dumdum as being his, since he hadn't thought of it in that way.

But really, was it that bad to think of her as _his_ strawberry? He immediately forced away the idea. How could he even think that when he could never even bring himself to call her by her first name? And how could he even say her name when she hated him so much? There was no reason to get his hopes up.

The woman ruffled through the inner pocket of her blazer and proceeded to hold out what looked like a business card. Ryou observed the shocked look on the redhead's face. She stood there for a few minutes, completely dazed. It was one of her serious dazed looks, unlike the daydreaming one. Ryou mentally berated himself for acknowledging the fact that he knew her different looks.

"Yo Strawberry dumdum" he called out to her as he approached her.

Ichigo, freed from her momentary trance looked up in all seriousness and did not laugh as Ryou had expected her to. _Wow, that must be some amazing business card_ he thought amusingly to himself and though he had only been thinking that in mockery, it truly was.

The shocked redhead tightened her grip around the lollipop she was still holding as she stared at the business card offered to her. "Sora Sukai. Aurora Co."

"Yes. If you didn't already know, Aurora Co. is the company that manages the famous idol Zakuro." The woman said calmly. Her eyes watched the redhead bemused. She then turned to Ryou who had just arrived, acknowledging his presence and motioning for him to sit with them.

Ichigo had originally approached the woman after remembering the bet. She had gone to her to request that she keep her end of the bargain – that is to say, the ginormous tip (as Ichigo would call it) that was promised to her. She had been offered the business card before she had a chance to ask and stood there quite uncertain as to why she had been given one at all.

Finally, she took the card and spoke. With the ginormous tip not forgotten, she said: "That was at least 30 people clapping before."

Ryou looked at her, confused while the woman chuckled at her words.

"Well technically, you weren't the only performer," Sora began to say.

"Wait, what?!" Ichigo suddenly stood up from her seat, her chair pushed aside. Ryou recognized those eyes as he braced himself for the shrieky Ichigo that he knew only too well. That is of course what he would have continued to do, if he had not been as quick-witted as he was in deciding that it was best not to offend someone from the famous Aurora Co. So he quickly went over to Ichigo and whispered a lie to keep her quiet, despite how utterly revolted he was by it.

"Aoyama just got back. He's changing." Ugh. He had to mention Aoyama during a perfectly Mr.-Goody-Tooshoos-free moment, AND the context of changing his clothes, something he would never wish to imagine.

And as the blue-eyed boss expected, his red-haired employee immediately piped down. But the danger was not over yet, no, they were far from it, as he began to recognize the gradual shift in his Strawberry's expression. Her pleading eyes, not that of the sincerely warm look, (as he had now become able to distinguish her several forms of pleading looks), signaled the coming onslaught of the Drama Queen's whininess in all its high pitched glory.

"But, you hadn't said anything about being the only performer," Ichigo said as she dragged out the '–errr' sound. "And I did such a good job." She said, extending her O's.

"What's this about?" Ryou interjected, annoyed by Ichigo's tone.

"Just a hefty tip I promised," the woman said simply.

"She said that if I could get 30 people in the café to clap for me, she'd tip me double the amount I make in a day! AND she didn't say how I had to do it." Ichigo pleaded to Ryou as if he could do something about it.

"And you did it, though it was quite unexpected." Sora said. "I never said I wouldn't pay you. I'd have to say I was quite impressed by your ability to act, constantly changing emotions." Little did the woman know that the baka was in reality, just a moody girl who hadn't acted the emotions at all. But before Ryou continued this thought, he remembered the final moment of feigned anger hiding her feelings of hurt.

"And by that magic trick the both of you somehow managed to perform when this man had blocked you from sight." She glanced at Ryou. "I really did enjoy the cute ears and tail. Both of you were quite entertaining."

"So what's the problem?" Ryou asked.

"Well, if there were two performers, I can only pay her half the amount promised." She answered simply, her tone serious.

"Shiroga-Nehhh" She whined. "Why'd you have to interrupt?" Ryou rolled his eyes as he recalled the other kind of dazed look on her face right before he interrupted, which was not at all as pleasing to look at. If he hadn't done something then, she would've lost the crowd.

"Hey, it's not like I had any idea. And should you have agreed to that when you were SUPPOSED to be working?" And of course, Ryou was right so Ichigo had little left to say. He really did like the girl more when she was quiet.

"How about if she's able to do it again? Can she earn the other half back?" Ryou asked the woman casually. It wasn't as though he was helping the ditsy redhead, it was just much simpler to keep her quiet when she had money. And of course, it was the best way to let her earn money without giving her a raise.

"Hmm. Interesting." The woman considered it for a minute.

"Deal."

Ichigo, teary eyed from happiness, immediately jumped up and hugged Ryou, who was now blushing a darker shade of pink than he had been earlier before. Luckily for him, the café was no longer as bright as it had been before, as it was now approaching evening time.

"Let go you strawberry dumdum," he said between breaths, while trying to pry her arms away from his neck. " I – c -can't breathe…"

"Hahaha…Say that again Shirogane!" she laughed, still tugging at his neck.

The woman watched the pair, amused. It wasn't exactly what she had expected and things weren't going according to her plans. But there was a nice turn of events and she was anticipating what ever performance was ahead of her. It was nice to see that the girl had humor besides her good looks, but that just wouldn't cut it for her purposes. And well, the guy who was being choked by her? He had potential too…

Ichigo shifted uneasily under the woman's gaze after releasing Ryou from her death grip of happiness. Was she mistaken when she thought the woman wasn't checking her out? Ryou watched the suddenly quiet Ichigo as her expression fell and then contorted as she worked out, most likely, a series of strange thoughts only she would come up with.

"Ichigo," the cat girl heard a familiar voice. "Masaya!" she beamed. "You just got back? What took you so long?" she seemed a bit confused. After all, wasn't she told that Masaya had returned earlier?

Ryou saw him enter the café and walk towards Ichigo. Masaya gave Ryou a brief look, before answering. "_Someone_ failed to tell me that the delivery was to Kyoto" he smiled as he spoke. Ugh, and the baka strawberry didn't even notice his accusing tone. It was just like her to glance over his faults, oblivious to the fact that Masaya might not be that perfect.

"You chose to go." Ryou answered curtly. "It was originally the strawberry's job."

"That's four and a half hours at the very least! I can't believe you'd even send me there to begin with." Ichigo clung tightly onto Masaya's arm while Sora was watching. As was her now grumpy boss.

"Oh?" Sora muttered, raising an eyebrow watching the three of them.

Ichigo gave a nervous chuckle. She had better let the weird creepy lady know that she was taken.

"Boyfriend?" Sora asked, a little surprised.

"YUP" Ichigo replied immediately, a little too quickly for Ryou's tastes.

Sora surveyed the redhead once again in her cute café uniform, as Ichigo clung ever closer to her ideal boyfriend. The woman chuckled amusingly.

"And I thought this man here was your boyfriend," she continued as she began eyeing Ryou.

"NANI?!" Ichigo exclaimed as Ryou stayed seated in his chair quite unaffected, though he choked on his tea a little when he had heard.

"AS IF!" Ichigo screamed. "I'd rather date a turtle before I'd date the spawn of satan!"

Ouch.

Masaya listened as Ichigo spewed out the words. He looked at Ryou and smiled.

The blond returned Masaya's stare. He thought for a brief moment that Masaya had offered a smug grin. "Don't you have that second performance?" He broke the gaze as he shrugged and walked off.

"Oh yeah!" Ichigo replied happily. "And I know exactly what I'm gonna do!" She jumped up giddily, still holding Masaya. Dragging him with her, she ran to the storage room to get a new microphone.

* * *

So, I decided to split this chapter in half as it really was too long. Plus after reading it over, i realized that it was two separate events being squished into one chapter. As a result, all the chapters will be shifted.


	7. Just a Little Love Song

Alright, so I ended up splitting chapter 6 into two chapters because it really was too long. This just makes it a bit easier to read. This means that the chapters following this have been shifted. (Chapter 7 is now chapter 8)

* * *

**Chapter 7: Just a little love song **(Previously part 2 of chapter 6)

"Ehemm. Ladies and Gentlemen, are you ready for another round?" Ichigo's voice echoed through the café. She stood once again at the platform, but presently, her boyfriend also stood beside her.

Ryou watched the couple, happily holding hands on the stage and sighed. They were probably going to perform some lame love duet song. Ironic how she was going to win the crowd using something that had so often annoyed him – her voice. Although honestly, he was exaggerating; he had only been convincing himself that her voice wasn't appealing to him as part of his plan to forget the redhead. He cursed himself silently. He knew it wasn't good if it had gotten up to the point where self hypnosis was necessary.

He looked away. Did he really want to stay and watch them declare their love for each other in public, or more specifically, could he handle watching Ichigo declare her love to that fraudulent Mr. Perfect?

"Yeah!" the customers yelled enthusiastically as whistles, woots and cries of excitement filled the air. Ryou gave another heavy sigh. He supposed he could stay for a bit longer, just to see what she had in store for them. She was good at riling up the crowd at the very least.

"Without further ado, we'll be singing one of my favorite songs: a song from Beauty and the Beast called 'Something There'." Ryou looked up, a little surprised. The song…he remembered this song. His surprise only grew as he heard his strawberry.

She cleared her throat and began singing:

**There's something sweet**

**And almost kind…**

Her voice was sweet, crisp and elegant.

**But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined**

Dynamic when necessary,

**And now he's dear**

**And so I'm sure**

**I wonder why I didn't see it there before**

and soothing at other instances.

He had no idea a voice could be so beautiful. Ryou watched her sparkling expression as she sang with a smile. How could he have known that the same wailing Ichigo, could sound like this? And the lyrics, it hit him hard. It was almost as if – as if she could be singing about him, he thought hopefully.

But no. Clearly, that was not the case as her boyfriend stood next to her, only a few feet away from her on that platform. The blue-eyed blonde slipped his hands in his pockets, clenching them into fists when they were hidden. At this moment, Ryou wanted to cover his ears and avoid listening. Was she intentionally messing with him?

But he couldn't. The urge to listen to that incredibly and shockingly angelic voice wouldn't let him.

He watched as the redhead nudged at her boyfriend, motioning for him to sing as she tried to pass the microphone. Ryou had been right, she had been planning to sing the duet with her boyfriend. He looked away and headed for the kitchen. He had no intention of listening to that Aoyama show off his voice in front of his girlfriend, to prove that once again, he was perfect in every way and to continue blinding Ichigo with the image of perfection.

Upon entering the kitchen, he saw the microphone on the table. The same one that Ichigo had tried to hit him with. The same one that had been shoved into his hands when she was upset. The same one that he had put down in order to calm his upset Strawberry. And the reason, he managed to share with her his secret love of dumdum pops. He moved his hand over it. Earlier that day, Ichigo… God, if only he could call her that to her face…had held the same microphone with her own hands that morning. Clasping his hands around it, he could almost, just _almost _feel close to her as if closing that distance between them.

That gap that would never disappear because of her obvious hate for him.

The growing volume of the whispers of the customers broke him away from his thoughts. Goodness, he was being pathetic Ryou again – the Ryou that would appear every night before going to sleep, the Ryou that contemplated on the what ifs with the not so annoying Strawberry as he claimed her to be.

The whispers were now loud enough to be talking. It was rude of them to interrupt such a beautiful performance, even if that aggravating Aoyama was taking part in it. The love stricken Ryou, determined to see what was going on, walked back into the café with the microphone at his side.

He had not expected this at all.

Masaya was half talking and half screaming into the microphone all the words that Ichigo was whispering into his ears. Ryou looked at a wincing Ichigo, who looked at her _almost _perfect boyfriend as she did this, in sudden realization that maybe he wasn't so perfect after all. He saw the customers do the same exact same thing he had done when he first heard Masaya's voice; they covered their ears. Ryou glanced over at Sora, who was now wearing a scowl on her face and was ready to leave.

Finally deciding that it was time he was the one to help Ichigo and not that Aoyama he abhorred, Ryou brought the microphone to his lips and switched it on. He was not going to let Aoyama ruin a perfectly good song that Ichigo loved.

And he sang the familiar words as he walked onto the platform:

**She glanced this way**

**I thought I saw**

It was one of his favorite songs too. He had wondered how his Strawberry would know of this American song, and now suddenly remembered. _He_ had been the one to give her a copy of the movie Beauty and the Beast for her birthday, wanting to share with her one of his favorite childhood movies. _He _had been the one to initiate her supreme love of Disney movies.

**And when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw**

He thought of how these words were so similar to the kiss they shared that morning.

**No it can't be**

**I'll just ignore**

He began to wonder whether this song was written _for _the two of them. Ichigo and Ryou, not Ichigo and Masaya.

**But then she's never looked at me that way before**

Except for that part, he winced a little.

Ichigo watched him, surprised that her blue-eyed boss willingly went up on a stage _not_ to embarrass her. She knew he hated drawing attention and thought that he had only done so before because he could not pass by the opportunity of completely humiliating her.

She heard his soothing, comforting voice, so unlike his character and she heard the emotion in the song. She couldn't help but wonder if something was there. But she should have expected to hear him sing like that right? After all, it was one of his favorite movies.

She continued the song:

**New and a bit alarming**

**Who'd have ever thought that this could be?**

She had just been singing for the sake of singing before, she hadn't really noticed the words until now.

**True that he's no Prince Charming**

Ichigo stared into his cerulean eyes, wondering why he looked at her so differently, almost as if he was mesmerized by her voice. But that couldn't be, he's only ever thought of her as an idiot right?

**But there's something in him that I simply didn't see**

She remembered the beautifully sad poem, a bit dismayed at her own behavior as she reflected on it. Who was she to call him a jerk all this time? She had done so, fully aware of what had happened in his past, what had turned him cold, yet she spared him none of those harsh words. Ryou watched her as she contemplated those thoughts, wondering if that sudden glimmer in her eyes meant something.

**But there's something in him that I simply didn't see**

She ended the song in a graceful diminishing diminuendo. Ryou struggled through his thoughts, was it possible…Could she…feel something for him? Was there really _something there_, as the title of the song suggested? His heart leapt suddenly. Just as he was almost getting his hopes up, he turned away from the continuous gaze with Ichigo, noticing the third person on stage. No, it wasn't possible. Because there he was, Mr. Perfect Boyfriend, still standing on there with them.

The crowd cheered, applauded and whistled, though the three took no notice. There was an awkward silence for a moment and then Masaya spoke. Ryou stood there, expression unreadable as he listened to them.

"Ichigo, I'm sorry I didn't know the song." Though really, he was apologizing for the fact that he couldn't sing it.

"Oh Masaya," Ichigo's attention was turned to him. "It's quite alright. It was inconsiderate of me to assume you would. But didn't you know I loved Disney songs?"

_Yes, I did_. Ryou thought quietly to himself.

"I just figured you would at least know the tunes of some of them, considering they _are _my favorites." She said, quiet honestly surprised Masaya hadn't known everything about her by now.

"Well, maybe I'd have known if you told me." Her boyfriend replied. _Touché._ The redhead looked down.

"I'm sorry," she said to him. "I shouldn't expect you to know everything when I don't tell you anything." Shirogane's advice was exactly what she should have done. She recalled the simple words he had said to her _Just be yourself. _In the same way that she hadn't shown her real self to Masaya, she wasn't seeing the real him either.

Shirogane really had just been trying to help her before. And she could already feel herself being more at ease with Masaya than she had before.

"Thank you Shirogane," she said as she turned to her silent boss. Masaya gave her a quick nudge after she said this, but she took no notice.

The blond nodded just a bit, understanding exactly what she was referring to and stood there casually as if he belonged on stage, even though she knew he hated being up there.

Another awkward moment of silence passed between the three, and this time Ryou was the one to speak.

"Why that song?" he questioned. Could there have been some hidden meaning? He couldn't stop himself from thinking that.

"Huh?" She murmured. She placed a finger against a temple as if contemplating the answer to that question. "I just liked it, that simple love song," she said, dashing all hopes of the Ryou who attempted very hard to shield his emotions at this moment. Did she even remember when she had first heard it?

"Hm." He could only offer a slight mumble. Masaya glanced at him, offering another one of his fake kind smiles. But Ryou knew he really was just gloating at him.

"Let's go Ichigo" Masaya said. He took this opportunity to grab onto Ichigo's hand, who glanced at him in acknowledgement.

"Hold on." She replied. She turned her attention back on her secretly heartbroken blue-eyed boss.

"Shirogane" Her head dropped down in humility. "I'm…uh...sorry, you know?"

That was surprising.

"Ryou" He mumbled his name. "Call…" he paused to be certain that his voice would not break as he continued "…me Ryou." He didn't know why he suddenly wanted her to call him that now, more than ever. Perhaps it was the fear that she never would, if he hadn't said something about it. Or it was the fear of completely losing her forever…

Her expression lit up when she heard him. She felt Masaya tug her hand, motioning for them to leave, but she continued speaking.

"Ryou." His heart just skipped a beat. But he was unable to say a single word as he stared at Ichigo holding Masaya's hand.

"I'm sorry for misunderstanding you and all. I mean, even when I knew about your parents, I was still so mean to you and called you a bunch of names which I'm sure you didn't like – so I wasn't even in the position to yell at you for calling me names." She said quickly, averting his gaze.

Ryou's cool exterior was now no more, as his expression fell. So this was it was all about. This was why that last line she sang was full emotion, why she suddenly spoke to him so kindly, almost caringly. This was why he had falsely gotten his hopes up.

" I don't want your pity." He said coldly, eyes narrowing at her. He walked off the stage with his hands hidden in his pockets clasped into fists, through the crowd of the still excited customers chatting away about the show.


	8. Dumdum Popstar

Here it is, the near completion of the road to stardumdum series! This is one of my shortest chapters yet, though I ended up incorporating that cute memory in this chapter. (I was actually thinking about doing a separate one shot on that.)

I think I'll continue making chapters around this length as I've suddenly found it very difficult to continue writing. Maybe it's the length or something, but I feel like my writing style is losing its humor.

**1 more review left til my next update! **

Thank you to all of my readers and a special thanks to those who did review, which is probably what has kept me going!

* * *

**Chapter 7****: Road to Stardumdum (Dumdum Popstar)**

With golden strands of hair strewn upon his face, he stared down at the paper in his hands. Ryou was seated at his table, facing the window that now displayed a warm hue of rosy pink painted across the sky. The muscles between his eye brows tensed up, bringing the two arches together into a strained expression of inner turmoil.

"To fill the void" he murmured. He exhaled a single breath, chest lowering from the heavy sigh. "If only she would."

After having left the scene of the performance, Ryou had no intention of being seen. It had only already taken him every effort to reach his room without once screaming out in exasperation, anger and desperation. Now here he was, sitting in this pathetic state alone in his room, reading the poem he had written for his favorite koneko.

He crumpled up the paper into a condensed ball, and threw it into the garbage bin. He had to stop acting like this! Nothing would change the fact that the ditsy redhead he secretly loved was very much in love with someone else. He had always known this absolute fact. It was his own fault for giving into false hopes when he knew where he stood in Ichigo's life.

He was her infamously emotionless jerk of a boss.

And while he may not like to be seen that way, at least he was her something. So that settled it. If he was going to play that part (which really was better than having nothing at all), then by God, he was determined to play it well. He was going to play it so well that she would never have a reason to pity him again.

The blond ruffled his hair with his two hands in anxiety and headed towards the shower to get all final thoughts of the cat girl out of his head.

But it was useless, as he recalled a not so distant memory on Ichigo's birthday.

* * *

'Yo Strawberry," Ryou called out to Ichigo who was standing by the table, eyeing the feast that had been set up for her as a surprise birthday party.

"Here." He said and shoved the dvd into Ichigo's hands. The red head looked at the item that she was now holding, a little dazed and confused as she so often was. There was a cartoon picture of a woman in beautiful dress, staring into the eyes of a beast.

Ryou looked away as a slight hue of pink adorned his face. He saw her raise her eyes from the long stare at the dvd cover. Her cheeks suddenly puffed up, as she fought the urge to laugh. But being the Strawberry he knew her to be, she couldn't resist.

"AHAHAHAHA" Her laughter caught the attention of the other Mews as Ryou stared at her in silence. "Oh MY STRAWBERRY BELLS!" She laughter was mixed with a series of squeals and gasps for air. "I - haha- CAN'T -hAha-BELIEVE YOU...HAHAHA..WATCH CARTOONS!" So maybe it wasn't the best idea to give her this, the blond began to regret.

"It was..." his voice was kind. "...my favorite childhood movie." He looked at her sincerely. He just didn't have the energy to fight with her today. And it was evening, the time of day when Ryou would often consider the impossibilities of being with his strawberry.

But being the emotionless Ryou he was known to be, he immediately resumed his usual cold expression, trying to cover up whatever he had let slip.

"Happy Birthday Strawberry."

She watched him walk away from the crowding Mews.

"Arigato." Although she only whispered it, Ryou had heard it. It brought a rare smile to his face.

The very next day, Ichigo came strolling into the cafe, once again late for work. She had been wearing an angry pout throughout work and finally, when it was break time, she decided to give a piece of her mind to her inconsiderate boss.

"SHI-RO-GA-NEHH!" she screeched as she busted open his bedroom door that had been left ajar.

And of course, she had yet again found him shirtless. She immediately looked away as the sound of her ears and tail appearing could be heard.

POP!

"GOD, WHY don't you EVER wear a shirt?" she shrieked.

"What'd you want?" He said, casually as ever. And what could she have possibly have to complain about today?

"Ano..." she cocked her head to one side, eyes looking up, at a loss for what to say.

"If you've got nothing to say, can you go away?"

"What?" she yelled, arms pumping the air to show her dislike of his tone.

He shrugged. "Well?" he said expectantly.

"Oh yeah!" Ichigo suddenly remembered. "That was a lame joke! You're birthday present."

"What?" Ryou asked, honestly confused.

"Are you trying to make me look stupid?"

"You do that fine yourself." He smirked

"Jeez. You know I suck at English!" She continued screaming, bringing her tone up to a high pitched shriek.

"What the hell are you talking about, baka?"

"The movie, you jerk THE MOVIE. It was entirely in English" Ichigo was now pouting, cheeks flushed from anger.

Ryou extended his hand towards her face and leaned towards her as the pink in her cheek gradually became darker and darker.

FLICK!

"OWIE"

"You're honestly the worst baka I know." Ryou said, chuckling. "Try turning on the subtitles next time."

"Oh..." The redhead offered a silly smile and ran out of the room.

* * *

As Ryou fondly reminisced back on his memories of Ichigo's birthday, a separate turn of events occured down at the cafe.

Ryou had left Ichigo in a slight daze upon suddenly walking off. How was she to know that he would take her kindness for pity? That wasn't at all what she had meant!

"Hmph!" she muttered aloud in extreme annoyance. "What was with him?" But it wasn't as though she really cared how that soulless bipolar slavedriver took it.

Masaya watched the redhead pout. He had never seen her like this and he wasn't certain how he felt about it. She had always been that kind, sweet girl who was timid and nervous when he was near her. She was at times, a little ditsy but that had always been due to her shyness around him.

Upon seeing her beloved boyfriend look at her quizzically, she quickly waved her two hands in front of her in defense. "Ano..." she began, catching herself right before she was about to curse at her idiot boss out loud.

Just as suddenly as she had caught herself, her composure changed completely as she spoke in as the sweetest voice she could manage. "Masaya, I have some business to take care of. Would you wait a moment please?" she looked down at her hands as she twiddled her thumbs. Besides, this was Masaya she was talking to, not some jerk like Shirogane who didn't deserve to be spoken to politely.

"Sure" Masaya replied kindly. He couldn't see the strain in Ichigo's expression. She turned away from him and was just about to leave, but somehow, she felt uneasy leaving things like that with Masaya as the familiar voice of Shiro – no, it was Ryou (and she unwillingly turned a shade of pink at this thought) – resounded in her head with the three words "Just be yourself." Darn. Even though she was angry with him, he was right.

"Actually, why don't you come with me?" she said, dropping the unusually sweet tone she used before. It was no use trying to have a real relationship based on lies and faulty impressions. She took his hand, still very much like the old Ichigo around her crush, and blushed profusely at the contact as she walked with him to see Sora Sukai.

"Miss Sora Sukai?" Ichigo began to speak, when she had approached the woman. She couldn't help but feel a little giddy about how rich she was going to be in the next couple of minutes. She'd be able to go on a shopping spree today, and she wouldn't even have to wait for her regular paycheck! She could barely contain her glee.

"Oh. Ichigo Momomiya," Ichigo watched the woman's thoughtful expression. She was certainly up to something, maybe she was going to back out of the deal?

"Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Sora Sukai and I work as a scout and manager for Aurora Co." The woman's lips curved up into a sly smile. She was holding a pen in one hand, and a planner in the other.

The redhead looked away nervously as the woman observed her, getting out of her seat to get a full look as she circled around Ichigo. The cat girl clung onto her boyfriend's arm in response eyes tightly closed, waiting nervously for it to be over.

"I want to scout you."

Ichigo opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again. Finally, she managed to utter "Huh?"

"...as a new idol." Sora explained calmly.

Her strawberry colored eyes went wide in sudden realization. "Wai-Wha-How? What?" she stuttered.

"I'll make you the next top idol for sure!" Sora smiled as her eyes shimmered through the strict dark-rimmed glasses.

"Nande?" She began to question, although at this point she didn't really care why, as she was holding back the incredible urge to jump up and down and squeal incoherent sounds of excitement. Sora watched the girl, amused. Scouting new talent was always fun.

"MASAYA!" She screamed with delight, her earlier question completely forgotten. She bounced up and down like a child on a sugar high, locks of strawberry colored hair flying as she jumped. It had been her dream to be a star! It was every girl's dream, and now she would get to live it! She hopped up and jumped at the very surprised Masaya, who now held her and smiled silently. She was little more hyper than what he was used to, but still very cute.

"Welcome to Stardum dum." The woman smirked as she came up with an idea.

"What the – ?" Ichigo froze in place and stared at the woman as if she was mentally retarded.

"Well, I've decided on your stage name. I can picture it now," Sora's eyes seemed to have lost their focus as she entered her own realm of daydreams. It really was unbecoming of her serious image.

The redhead waited in silence. It didn't seem to be heading where she wanted it to.

"You'll be...a Dumdum Popstar!" Sora smiled at her, expression full of amusement. Even Masaya couldn't help but chuckle.

"Wh..." Ichigo couldn't even begin to speak. Was this lady on crack? Or on a sugar high?

"STRAWBERRY Dumdum! That'll be your idol name." The woman's expression lit up at the thought as she hurriedly scribbled something in her notebook.

That was the most ridiculous stage name to have ever existed on the face of the Earth.

Probably even the most ridiculous name to have ever existed on the face of the _universe_.

EVER.

The woman couldn't _possibly_ be serious.

"That's – that's just STU-pid." Ichigo stuttered from the absurdity of it all.

"No, it's dumdum!" Sora said, beaming at Ichigo, leaving her utterly speechless. God, was she just a kid stuck in a perverted woman's body?

"It's Strawberry dumdum!" the muscles on the edge of Ichigo's mouth began twitching.

Ichigo seemed to have forgotten something, as there was an annoying itch at the back of her mind waiting to be satisfied. What was it?

Hold on...it was coming back to her, slowly but surely.

And then it dawned upon her why this all sounded so completely and ridiculously absurd.

"That nice blond gave me that idea. It's actually quite a good idea if you think about it." The woman continued as she raised her blue rimmed glasses.

The once ecstatic Ichigo now stood quite still, dumbstruck by it all.

"SHI-RO-GA-NE!" she suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs. Masaya jumped at the outburst so unlike the sweet koneko he knew."WHAT SICK JOKE ARE YOU PLAYING?!" She howled the words, hoping that they would physically bombard the true spawn of evil to fatal injuries if not certain death. She jumped up from her seat, ready to storm up into his room because she had some matters to settle with the man who was the worst thing to exist in the universe, after that ridiculous stage name, of course.

"Joke?" Sora asked, quite confused. "It's no joke."

Ichigo with eyes flaring, fists clenched as was her teeth, and stiff with anger in almost every muscle in her body, turned her head very slowly towards the blue haired woman.

"Well," she said between her gritted teeth "what did you mean when you said he gave you the idea?"

"I heard him call you strawberry dumdum. That's all."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her. She was skeptical. Besides, when did Shiro – no, Ryou, ever pass a chance to make her an utter and complete fool. That would explain why he had come to help her on stage before during the song. It would explain why he had almost seemed _moved_ by the words of the song. It was all part of a bigger plan for Ichigo's humiliation.

"Really, he didn't put me up to this. But anyway, it's you're choice. I'm only _giving_ you the opportunity to be a star, you don't have to take it." Sora motioned to go.

"Wait wait wait" Ichigo reached for Sora's arms as she had begun packing her bag to leave. The redhead stared at the ground and took a moment to consider.

"So. You were _actually_ serious about that name?" she gave a slight shudder.

"Yup." Sora Sukai of Aurora Co. said.

"_Seriously?_" Ichigo looked up into her eyes pleadingly. No way. No how. She must've just been joking with her right?

"Yup. You'll be the first one of a line of Dumdum Popstars." Her voice was serious, despite how it seemed to contradict with what she was saying.

So if the woman wasn't just a part of a sick joke created by her arrogant jerk of a boss, then this was real? It would have been a very clever joke, and something sick enough to expect from none other than the source of all evil.

Ichigo stared at the woman dressed in the sleek suit. One really would have to consider the mental state of such a woman who would come up with this ridiculous idea.

"Al-right." Ichigo gave in. In the end, no matter how stupid it sounded, she couldn't pass the opportunity to become a star. And just think of the money! How many shopping sprees would she be able to go on in a week?

"Heeheehee" She had once again entered the expression of her daydreaming dazed look. The not so flattering one.

"But that's not the end of it," she heard Sora resume her previously serious tone.

No sooner had she heard her smirking manager speak when all the previous excitement shattered in one instant.

"**NANI**? I have to do **WHAT**?!"

* * *

I hope you found this chapter funny, as I tried to make it so. Personally, I was having a bit of a hard time writing so the humor may seem a little strained.

Okay, so I think this is it for the lightning speed updates. I feel like I'm slowing down, so **I'm going to require a 5 review minimum before I update the next chapter. **Let me know it's worth continuing! Sorry all! I'll try to make it worth the wait.


	9. The One Condition

Hi All! As per requested, here's the next chapter!

I had a particularly fun time writing this chapter. I hope you'll enjoy.

Please read and review. **5+ reviews before the next chapter. 1 review left til I update.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The One Condition**

Why did it have to come to this? Ichigo walked as slowly as possible, legs heavy with each step as she contemplated the situation miserably. Of all that was good and proper in the world, why?!

She still had the option of backing out now, she considered for a moment. Anything, _anything_, would be better than this right? But then thoughts of fame, fortune and glory crept into her mind.

"It'll all be worth it!" she told herself sternly as she stood in front of the bedroom door of her blue-eyed boss. She recollected the scene that had led her here once again during ungodly hours in all her misery.

"That's all you have to do," Sora had said as if it was truly that simple. The woman's hands were folded together as she looked at Ichigo quite seriously.

"What do you mean _that's all_?" the redhead screeched the last two words.

"Well, what's the big deal about debuting with another new idol?"

_No, no, no!_ This woman truly did not understand her angst! Ichigo gave a slight sigh before speaking. "I don't mind debuting with someone else, it's just – I..."

"Good. It's settled." The woman closed her notebook and placed it in her bag. "Just let Shirogan-kun know and give me his measurements so I can get the company to start preparing the outfits."

"But you don't understand, Sora-san!" Ichigo continued speaking in exasperation. It wasn't as if Shirogane would just happily become an idol or otherwise jump with joy at the thought as she had done. He wasn't just another typical schoolgirl wishing for fame. Hell, he just wasn't typical.

"My cell phone number is on the card, so give me a call to let me know by tonight if he's up for it okay?" she reached for her bag. She offered a knowing smirk, "Everyone wants to be famous so..."

"It shouldn't be much of a problem." Ichigo finished the woman's thought. Oh but it was. It was a HUGE problem, for Ichigo at least.

"Ichigo!" Masaya had been standing there in silence all that time, in a complete daze. Her words had brought him to his senses. "Not a problem?"

"Ugh." She gave a slight groan for lying through her teeth.

"It's just business." The woman spoke, rising from her seat. "No need to be jealous, dear."

The redhead raced to his defense. "He's not jealous. He understands perfectly that he's got absolutely nothing to be jealous of from that arrogant, selfish twit!" She was fuming with her typical Ichigo wrath.

"It's a shame. I might have considered pairing the two of you for your first debut." The woman clad in blue-rimmed glasses began to say, until she suddenly remembered the unpleasant experience that was Masaya's voice.

"Anyway, be sure to let me know his answer by tonight. I have deadlines to keep too."

"What if Shirogane says no?"

"I already told you. You can _only_ debut with him. That is the one condition. In each performance, it became very clear to me that your success relied on his presence."

"What?" The redhead was shocked. She was perfectly capable without Shirogane. It was his fault for constantly butting in each time. And now, somehow her future manager was given this twisted impression about her skills. Once again, Shirogane had stolen _her_ spotlight!

"No, no! I could perform perfectly well on my own!" Ichigo screamed after the woman who had began making her way towards the door.

"Ichigo – " Masaya began to say, concerned. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I... Of course I do! You know it's in every girl's dream to become an idol. I'm not going to let a jerk like him ruin it for me."

"Even if it's to be a Dumdum popstar?" He began chuckling at the words.

Ichigo's face gave in to a slight blush as she fervently defended her future idol-hood. "A Dumdum popstar is still a popstar!"

The red-haired girl pouted at the scene that had occurred only a few hours ago. The cafe had since long closed and remained eerily quiet, which contrasted to the bustling sounds during the day. The Mews had once again left Ichigo alone to close up. Masaya who would not have minded helping his precious koneko, and who would have much rather kept Ichigo company on her way to Ryou's room, was forced to leave before closing time for an evening practice session of kendo for an upcoming match.

It was these unfortunate events that led Ichigo to face the eminent obstacle alone.

"Shirogane?" she called through the door reluctantly. When she got no response, she tried again.

"Shirogane?" Nothing.

"Shirogane?" she said in a singsong voice. She heaved a heavy sigh and proceeded to plop herself on the ground while leaning her head against the door.

To her astonishment, the door gave way to her weight and swung open. She crashed down onto the hard wooden floor, head first. Ichigo had not at all registered what exactly was happening until she felt the impact. Shirogane had left the door open.

"Owiee" she whined, as she lay limply on the floor staring at the ceiling of Ryou's bedroom. She waited for her boss's mocking tone and witty remarks but was pleasantly surprised. She pushed herself from the ground to take a look around. While the dim yellow light of his room was on, his bedroom was completely empty.

"Shirogane?" she asked, kneeling on the floor. There was no answer.

The redhead proceeded to pace around the room, wondering how she was ever going to convince her stubbornly arrogant boss into becoming an idol. That idea in itself, that is, the image of Shirogane forever accompanying her through her own idol career, gave her the shivers. To think that she would be in his room specifically to plead that he join her!

She could only imagine all the horrendous things he would have her do just for him to agree.

But she chose to worry about that later. The most pressing issue at hand was to convince him first. Ichigo knew that this was close to impossible as his utter dislike for attention could not be changed. It was bothersome enough that she would have to be paired with her most despised enemy throughout her idol-hood, and now to have her stardom dum (as Sora would call it) to rely completely on this creep was cause for even greater desperation.

What if he said no? Ichigo froze in place. That was even worse.

Well, of course she wouldn't take it lying down, but she couldn't simply tell her future manager, or whom she hoped would become her future manager, that he had agreed could she?

An evil grin slowly made its way upon Ichigo's plotting expression. Sora Sukai had wanted to know by tonight, and by her strawberry bells Ichigo was determined to let her know. The redhead searched through her pockets. Reaching past the dumdum pop that still remained unconsumed, she managed to wrap her fingers around the thin business card. She whipped out her handy bright pink cell phone and began dialing.

"Yes, Sora–san. Shirogane-san has agreed to it, and quite happily too." Ichigo said cheerfully into the phone. She felt just a little touch of guilt for saying it, but it couldn't be helped. She would just have to convince her blue-eyed boss later without fail.

And just as suddenly as that thought had filled her mind, she paled in realization at another obstacle.

"Ichigo? Ichigo-san? Are you there?" the woman from the other line said. "I asked you what his measurements were."

"Ano..." She had forgotten about that part.

A sound from the bathroom caused her to spin around. He was in the shower all this time? She rolled her eyes. He really must have obsessive compulsive behaviour for cleanliness. Freak.

"Hello?" But this wasn't the time to be thinking of her boss's odd ways as she had to come up with a quick plan.

"I'm really sorry Sora-san. I need to go now, but I'll be sure to give the measurements to you soon." The redhead said all in one breath and quickly hung up. She looked around the room in utter helplessness. What had she gotten herself into?

The bathroom door remained closed and she could still hear the sound of the water spraying from the showerhead. She still had some time. Resisting the urge to scream incoherently as was her method of dealing with frustrating situations, she ran over to his drawer and did what she never would have done in a million years – if it had not been her future fame in jeopardy.

Mentally gagging at her actions, she grabbed Shirogane's shirt, pants and boxers in her now utterly foul and fetid arms from the drawer, hoping that they would be satisfactory for Sora's purposes. Maybe she'd be let off the hook if she could to get the clothes to her future manager. She leaned against the bathroom door to listen for the familiar sounds of the rush of water flowing from the showerhead, but it was quiet silent.

Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open, causing Ichigo to lose balance and head face first as she fell...

CRASH! ... into the unsuspecting Ryou who had just finished his shower.

"Oww," Ichigo cried as her eyes were closed from wincing at the pain. She was very confused as to why the bathroom floor had felt so warm, and so unlike the flat surface she was expecting.

"Ouch." She heard. Ichigo opened her eyes, afraid of what was to come, but now beginning to understand what had happened. POP! The sound of her ears and tail appearing could be heard.

"BAKA! HENTAI! CHIKAN! SHIROGANE, ECCHI!nya" Upon meeting Ryou's confused gaze, she had immediately begun screaming, though the effect of anger was terribly ruined by the cute catlike expression. He really was such an inconsiderate pervert! Didn't it even occur to him to keep his door locked?

She thrashed uncontrollably at his chest only to realize that it was bare, which only caused her to elevate the degree of her screaming into incomprehensive shrieks rambling at his indecency. Her face was bright beet red as she screamed at the top of her lungs. "WHY DON'T YOU EVER HAVE A SHIRT ON?"

"Why don't you ever knock?"

"WHY DON'T YOU EVER CLOSE YOUR DOOR!"

"BAKA Strawberry, my door WAS closed. And who's the pervert? _You're _the one on top of me!" he yelled as he rubbed his injured head.

"DON'T CALL ME BAKA!" she screamed as she continued with her rage, not yet comprehending her very awkward position above her nearly naked boss as they were lying on the bathroom floor. Her arms continued to pound at his chest as their legs were caught intertwined.

Ryou struggled for a moment beneath Ichigo's beatings but found the frantic girl to be impossible to handle. "SHUT UP" He yelled, tired of her screaming.

"NO SHIROGANE. I won't stand for this indecency. You think you can go around and do whatever you want to me and I'll stay quiet? AND YOU GOT MY CLOTHES ALL WET. NO WAY I'M NOT GONNA JUST SHUT UP ABOUT IT YOU FREA– "

But despite all her screeches, screams and shrieks of denial, Ryou managed to keep her quiet by interrupting her with a sudden kiss.

It started simple at first as their lips met in soft contact with one another, but Ryou wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a deeper kiss. She had noticed when he began to open his mouth for a more intimate kiss, but she just let his tongue explore as she reacted with a slight shiver of delight. Her body went limp, giving up all resistance.

And then to her dismay, he was pulling away. Just as she felt him ending it, she unintentionally kissed back very much to her own surprise. Ryou responded likewise but pulled her back into the kiss as he clung onto her even more tightly than before.

For goodness knows how long, they remained in that position. And though Ichigo was honestly enjoying the kiss, she was still in no way ready to admit that she might have just a _small _thing for the man whom she was now kissing.

Knock, knock, knock! _Oh goodness, of all times for someone to actually knock at Shirogane's door. _Ichigo thought, not that she was particularly hoping for the kiss to continue though she resumed the kiss through the knocking.

"Ryou? Have you seen Ichigo? I thought I heard her screaming before." It was Keiichiro.

When she felt him pull away a second time, she finally broke the kiss. "Wow..." she heard him murmur to himself. The redhead was left a little breathless as she tried to control the shade of crimson in her cheeks that were beginning to match the color of her hair.

"Umm. She uh left some time ago. " Ryou yelled to Keiichiro, still lying on the bathroom floor staring straight at Ichigo. She shifted under his gaze, uncertain about how to act.

"Oh, alright. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

"Sure." Ryou said impatiently, as they waited for Keiichiro to leave. They heard his receding footsteps making their way down the stairs before Ryou finally broke the awkward silence they shared.

"So what would you like me to call you instead?" He spoke softly, finally releasing her from his grasp.

"Huh?" Ichigo muttered in her daze, with no sign of getting up.

"Instead of Baka. How about Strawberry dumdum?" He offered a small chuckle while she shuddered at his words. The last thing she needed was a reminder of her awful stage name.

"How about..." she began to say hesitantly, eyebrows scrunched up in thought. Then finally deciding it was okay, she continued "...just Ichigo?"

His eyes went wide as his face brightened up with emotion Ichigo was previously unfamiliar with. "Ichi-" he began to say. He seemed to be struggling with something internally, as a troubled expression crept upon his face.

"Ecchi Ichi." He finally said, his face exhibiting the normal self-assurance Ichigo was used to with her arrogant boss.

"What?!" she screeched. Although her embarrassment for the kiss was not forgotten, she was glad to be given the opportunity to scream at her boss rather than to deal with whatever feelings she _may_, though probably did not (as she told herself), feel.

"YOU just kissed me jerk!" She screamed as she prayed to God that he wouldn't mention anything about her kissing him back.

"Ecchi Ichi, you're still on me." Ryou was smirking.

"That's cuz you were holding me down with your arms!" the bell on her tail jingled as she jolted upright, while still using Ryou as a makeshift seat.

"That was _after_ I started kissing you. You know, you could've broken the kiss and gotten up on your own. Before I held you down." The nerve of him! Was he _actually _suggesting that she wanted the kiss? Because wanting and letting were two entirely different things. Though honestly, letting him kiss her was bad enough. Ichigo opened her mouth to scream at him but closed it in her astonishment. They _were _two entirely different things, and it was _her _getting them mixed up, not him.

But it just wasn't possible. She couldn't have possibly wanted to kiss her jerkface boss more than have her lips touch that of an earthworm's. Wanting to kiss the spawn of Satan was like selling her soul to the devil, no, she'd probably do that before liking him _cross that,_ she had meant, before **kissing** him. Though why the sudden idea of possibly liking that jerk popped up was beyond her. There was no way she desired the contact of his warm, soft lips...No way, No how, no siree, seeing as how they were the lips of the slavedriver who was the source of all her troubles. She had only been caught in the moment. That was definitely it.

Another awkward moment of silence passed as Ichigo worked through her thoughts.

"Baka, you're heavy. Will you get off me already?" Realizing that she had been sitting on him the entire time, Ichigo stood up and quickly turned away from him. Her face blushed a dark crimson as she realized that Ryou had only been wearing a towel. Anyone would have been nervous in this situation.

"Oh my God." It was Ryou. He was staring at what Ichigo was holding. Just as soon as his shocked expression had appeared, it transformed into his normal arrogant expression. His tone was mocking as he spoke: "I never took you to be an underwear thief Ecchi Ichi."

He pointed accusingly at the article of clothing in her hand and she immediately dropped it in utter horror.

"I ...uh... was bringing you your clothes?"

"Hmm." Ryou sat up and let his arms drop to his side. He pushed himself up with his palms and stood facing Ichigo. She lifted the piece of clothing to him, arms completely extending as if trying to get it away from her as far as possible. "Here, Shirogane."

"Eh?" he muttered while raising an eyebrow. He inched closer towards her, until he was only a few centimetres from once again touching her strawberry lips, causing her heartbeat to race as she recalled the incredible kiss she had just experienced. While she may not have liked him, his kisses _were_ something to be left breathless with.

He paused there for a moment before whispering a single word. "Ichigo."

She stared at him and saw an expression in his eyes that she had never known. Was that... was he hurt? The last she needed right now was for her attractive yet moody boss to watch her with those eyes, not when she had Masaya.

"Ryou..." she managed to whisper. She hated that expression he wore, the one that made him look so vulnerable, because that wasn't how her mean, selfish snobby boss was supposed to be. It wasn't at all because that expression pained her.

"That's right. Ryou, not Shirogane...call me Ryou." He said softly. She was so close to him, she could feel his breath. She gave an involuntary shiver as Ryou quickly wrapped one arm around her waist and closed the distance between their lips. He was doing it again for the third time. The intense kiss that left her utterly helpless. It was something that left her breathless, anxious and dazed. It left her with feelings she couldn't even begin to imagine to have with Masaya, though that might simply be because she had never shared such a kiss with him before.

She cursed at herself for letting her mouth open and for once again, letting him deepen the kiss as she fought the urge to kiss back. Finally she pushed him away, afraid she would be unable to resist. The reason for being unable to resist of course was because he was incredibly attractive, even if she hated to admit it, and not at all because she had secretly harboured _any_ feelings for him at all. Goodness, she really needed to think about something else.

She had a mission that was just beginning to resurface in her memory. She hadn't come to Ryou's room for no reason at all. Her eyes widened as her task dawned upon her.

"What are your measurements?" Ichigo asked with her arms fully extended as she pushed Ryou away from her.

"What the – " Ryou's once hungry eyes gave way to confusion. Quickly recovering from his state of disjointed thoughts, he reverted back to his cool, mocking demeanor.

"God Ecchi Ichi, you just made out with a cute guy who was half naked and all you can think of are his measurements?! You really do have perverted thoughts." He teased, chuckling at the randomness that was his strawberry.

"Wait! We were _never_ making out." She said in defense.

"So you _do _think I'm cute." The shirtless Ryou continued teasing. "And you didn't even bother denying that you're perverted.

"Oh, GOD NO, I wasn't getting at that at ALL." Ichigo raised her arms in defense and waved frantically. Figuring that it hadn't been a good idea to simply ask him to begin with, she decided to stop asking. She would find another way to trick him into stardom.

"And would you get dressed already?" she found something else to distract him with. "I'm leaving anyway." She said as she was heading out the door.

He grabbed her arm. "Are you forgetting something?"

"What? What?"

"Keiichiro."

"Right. Goodness, why couldn't you have just told him I was here?" Ichigo asked, to which the more quick-witted Ryou immediately answered. "To have him find us making out on the bathroom floor?"

"WE WEREN'T MAKING OUT!" she screamed now blushing a sufficiently bright shade of red. Her bells chimed in unison as the force of her angry motions caused them to move. Ryou pulled her by the arm and covered her mouth with his free hand, proceeding to whisper in her human ears. "God, would it hurt you to stay quiet for just a little bit? Keii- chi- ro, remember? Besides, your clothes are wet. You can't go home like that. You'll catch a cold or something."

"Kawd, vy von't voo –owel –i?" Her words were muffled by his hand but he heard her.

"God, why don't _I_ towel dry?" he scoffed in disbelief at her question."And why, may I ask, do you like hugging naked guys after a shower?"

That certainly shut her up.

"Just wait here while I get changed. Meanwhile, I'll give you some clothes to change into." After Ichigo gave a slight nod in response, Ryou finally released her. He silently raised one finger to his lips and rummaged through his drawer. He pulled out a set of clothes which he handed to Ichigo and ran into the bathroom with his boxers in hand.

Ichigo attempted to change as quickly as possible as she did not want a certain blond to suddenly walk in on her. But soon, she found that could not remove her shirt with her cat ears still in place, nor could she wear the pants with her tail flapping around. Thus, she was left pacing the room in nervousness with nothing else to do. Keeping quiet was not in her character and having to hide from Keiichiro only made her more nervous. Having to hide made her feel like a criminal – like she had done something wrong.

Which she had. Ichigo couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt. Her fingers reached up towards her face. She traced her lips with her fingertips with her eyes closed, remembering the feeling of those soft lips and of how her mouth was gently pried open to allow for the intense kiss she shared with Ryou. "Ryou..." How strange it had felt to say it, as if by calling him that, she had broken an unspoken agreement to maintain the facade of pure dislike of her irresistibly attractive boss.

No, it wasn't a facade. How dare she even think that she was just pretending all this time? She was letting a little kiss rattle her. Well, it was three little kisses. Well, three little **amazing** kisses unlike any other kiss she's ever had before. But she was distracting herself and giving herself a headache. Of course she hated him. She genuinely had all this time.

A pang of guilt hit her again, physically making her feel weak as her legs began to give away. She was letting the memory get too far. She walked over to the bed and sat at the edge to sort her thoughts.

Ryou was none other than her satanic boss from the underworld and there was absolutely no way she could have or ever develop any feelings for him. Moreover, she was perfectly happy with Masaya, her wonderful boyfriend, whom she was learning more about each day. There couldn't possibly be anything with Ry – no it was Shirogane, and even if there was which there wasn't, it could not in any way compare to her love for Masaya. Besides everything Ry – Shirogane had done was to tease her, not that it would have changed anything. She was looking too deeply into things.

"I love Masaya. I love Masaya. I love MASAYA!" she said aloud, without noticing. And of course she loved him. He was her crush, her life, her everything. And while she was beginning to see that he was not perfect, she also knew that no one was. Sure he couldn't sing a note, but at least he was reliable.

"Reliable..." Was that all she could really think of to say about him? Well, he was also cute in his school uniform, oh and really cute as a waiter, Oh and _super_ cute when he was sparring. And he had been dependable at work. Dependable...ugh, that was the same as reliable. God, was that all she could think of? Well, he still made her heart flutter being near him. But then, so did Ry – NO IT WAS SHIROGANE (she mentally screamed at herself), whenever he kissed her.

She sat at the corner of the bed, palms pressed against her knees with her red hair hung over her eyes in deep thought. That – that type of fluttering was expected from any kiss right? It was a different kind of fluttering than the one she felt around Masaya, but that was probably because it was a kiss. She had always thought there was only one sensation of 'fluttering' but maybe kisses had a different class altogether. And obviously, a girl couldn't possibly feel nothing at all after a kiss like that. Wait, what did she mean a kiss _like that_? Okay, sure he was a great kisser but that certainly didn't mean that she liked him or anything of the sort. She'd be too shallow if she thought that in itself was love.

Because she knew clearly who she loved, and it was none other than Masaya. "That's right. I LOVEE Masaya." By this time, she had become quite tired of staring at the back of her hands and proceeded to look around the room.

Her eyes suddenly fell on a single crumpled ball of paper that lay solitary in the garbage bin which stood beside table and in front of the bathroom. The redhead ran over and knelt beside the bin, reaching in with one hand. Smoothing the paper out against the floor, she realized what it was as her eyes widened with surprise.

Upon hearing Ryou shuffling around in the bathroom, she quickly stuffed the paper into her pocket. It wasn't as though he would need it anymore and it did really feel like such a shame to have such a beautiful poem thrown away, never to be read again. The bathroom door opened suddenly, but Ichigo had managed to properly hide the piece of paper in time.

"Ichi – " CRASH! Ryou found himself toppling over the Ichigo yet again, who was kneeling beside his desk in front of the bathroom entrance.

Ryou, with knees and elbows on the floor, kept himself propped up from otherwise squashing the clumsy Ichigo. "God, I find myself falling more times in a day with you then I ever would alone. I'm beginning to think that you're setting me up." He gave her his typical smirk, but he showed no signs of planning to move. His eyes shimmered with that familiar look.

Oh dear Lord. Was he going to do it again? Because Ichigo had no idea how she would handle a fourth kiss like that. She couldn't risk another as she might find herself accidentally kissing back once again. She closed her eyes, heart racing and braced herself.

"Ryou, I–" spoke a voice through the door, which swung open with ease in the very next moment "...thought I heard something." Keiichiro stood at the doorway, very much dumbstruck into silence.

* * *

Okay, so this chapter ended up sidetracking a bit into a direction I wasn't going for at first. I originally had tons of teasing and torture from Shirogane in mind, but I thought it was time for some development between the two.

What was your favorite chapter so far? Or favorite moment? Funniest? Did this chapter seem out of character? I hope it doesn't seem like it with the constant switching of emotions. But that's just to show how very confused both of them are. Does it come out that way?


	10. Alto the Stray Cat

You guys are awesome...heehee... I got my 5 reviews! YAY!

Now, as promised, here's the next chapter. I must say I had quite a nice time writing the first part to this. Read and review, **5 review limit** once again before I update, but I'll try to make it worth your while.

Enjoy the read!

* * *

**Chapter 10****: Alto The Stray Cat**

A moment of awkward silence passed between the three, as Keiichiro stood by the doorway gaping at the two figures on the ground before him.

"Oh God" she muttered, wide-eyed. The red-haired cat girl fully adorned with ears and tail, immediately turned her face away from the door."Thi...this isn't what it looks like at all Akasaka-san!"

Keiichiro was still trying to find his voice thus forcing another few minutes of uneasy silence to fall between them.

"I...am I interrupting something?" Keiichiro finally managed to mutter as his gaze never left the blue-eyed blond who hovered over the cat girl in his boxers.

Ryou watched as his strawberry turned a brighter shade of red and felt her cheeks hot from embarrassment. Her furry cat ears twitched as she was facing away from the very shocked Keiichiro. She was very uncomfortable in the awkward position they were discovered in – he could tell, since she could not even bring herself to meet his eyes.

"Hmm..." he muttered nonchalantly, eyes still not moving away from the flushed face of Ichigo. He didn't really care at this moment if the situation was misunderstood and he just loved how his koneko looked with her ears down as she bit her lip nervously. All because of him. It was him who was making her nervous and tense with embarrassment, not Masaya.

"What happened to your shirt?" Keiichiro began to ask, wondering if it was something he should be asking. He transferred his gaze over to Ryou's bare legs. "And your pants?" He hand shook uneasily on the doorknob.

"Hmm." Ryou murmured, as casual as ever. "Ecchi Ichi was stripping me, of course. But then you came in..."

**SLAM**!

At those words, Keiichiro had made his escape from the very awkward situation he thought he had interrupted. They could hear his muffled voice through the other side of the door. "Par..Pardon... me for the intrusion." The patter of his footsteps diminished as he walked, or rather, sped away from the room.

"YOU IDIOT!" Ichigo was now screaming as she glared at the blond who hovered over her, "LIKE HELL I'D BE STRIPPING YOU."

**SMACK**. Okay, so maybe he deserved that.

"Relax," he said as he rose from the ground and rubbed his cheek where he had been slapped. "Keiichiro's smarter than to just assume something was going on. Not everyone's a baka like you." His tone was calm as if nothing had happened at all.

"It's not called assuming if he was told." Ichigo snapped.

"Nah, he'll know better than for me to ever be interested in someone like you like that."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, jerk?" The redhead said, now fuming with anger at an all time high.

"Exactly what it sounds like."

"Like I'd want you to." She scoffed. She got up from the ground with her cat ears flopped down and the end of her tail twitching in annoyance. She stomped on his wooden floors and flailed her arms in random directions. "You've just given him an entirely wrong idea of the situation! And you made me sound like such a perv you JERKFACE."

"Hm?" He raised an eyebrow at her, pleasantly surprised that she had managed to find a word other than 'jerk' to describe him, though the fact that the word didn't exist, once again confirmed her to be a baka. "If I recall, you were the one running in to hug me in the bathroom once I got out of the shower. With my boxers in hand might I add."

"No, no! I needed to talk to you about something. Ugh. You're just SO totally, completely and UN-believably – "

"Hot? I know." His typical arrogant smirk appeared on his face.

"AHH" she screamed, quite ready to pull the hair out from her head while knocking it into a hard surface. Repeatedly.

"Anyway, I came out to get more clothes. I thought I could wear the set of clothes you conveniently brought into the bathroom for me before." At this Ichigo winced, her body shifting uncomfortably where she stood as her ears involuntarily twitched. The situation must have looked pretty bad, she had to admit. She had no right for the sudden outburst at him when she was the one who was found snooping around in his room stealing his clothes. Like an obsessed fangirl, well, more like stalker.

"But when I went to change, I found that the shirt and pants you brought..." he paused once again, watching Ichigo's expression, "...were on the ground, soaked wet." Her head was down, strands of red hair hung over her face, masking her thoughts. He truly was having a good time teasing her.

**FLICK**!

"OWW" Ichigo looked up suddenly, rubbing the red spot on her forehead. "What'd you do that for?"

"I didn't like how you looked."

"What's wrong with how I look?" the redhead demanded to know, offended by his smart remarks. Her blue-eyed boss, however, took no heed of anything she said as he rolled his eyes at her and continued to speak.

"Why aren't you changed?" Ryou walked over to his drawer a second time, and reached for a new set of clothes for himself. Finding a pair of white pants, he pulled it out and proceeded to slip into them.

"Nya..." The redhead immediately turned away from the scene. Her ears were still in place. Just as she had thought they were beginning to disappear, she had found herself in yet another inappropriate situation with her smug, shirtless boss. He didn't even have the decency to change in the bathroom this time!

"Oh?" He glanced briefly at her black ears and tail. Raising his hand over her head, he gave her a small pat on the head. He slowly slid his hand to her soft cat like ears and began to stroke them as he would with a kitten.

"Nya" Ichigo uttered as she enthusiastically rubbed her ears against his warm hands. Despite herself, she couldn't fight her feline instincts, now transfused with her own DNA. "I..." she spoke between purrs, "hate you" ...purr... "nya." It wasn't right of him to take advantage of her secret weakness.

"Nya?" She questioned when he had stopped suddenly.

"You really should get a hold of yourself, Ecchi Ichi. It was just a small kiss or two." He smirked that same arrogant smirk she saw every day. "Maybe if you get those perverted thoughts out of your head, you'd be able to get a shirt over it."

"It's YOUR fault I have them to begin with!"

"Who told you to get excited?" he said not the least bit unnerved by her words. He was, after all, the king of emotionless jerks.

"No, no! It – it's your fault I got those genes." She hated that attitude of his, as if he had the answer to everything. How was it possible that she was remotely attracted to this jerk?

And though as hard as she would try to deny it, those ears and tail were still there.

"Ichigo," he whispered suddenly causing the cat girl to instantly fall still. His voice was brimming with guilt. "I'm sorry for everything." Had she heard correctly? Was this the appearance of bipolar Shirogane's alternate personality?

Well, maybe not. He had always taken the Mew Project with utmost gravity.

She walked over to the corner of his bed where he was seated and plopped down beside him. He was staring down at the floor, face covered by his golden hair, expression unreadable. "Ryou..." she responded softly, now regretting the constant blame she placed on blue-eyed Ryou, who burdened himself with the responsibility of everything alone. Despite the total randomness in the change of his emotions, she couldn't stay angry at him when he was like this.

"It's my fault you're like this. That you're all like this. I let my obsession with my father's work ruin the lives of five completely innocent girls."

"There's a way to make this up, for me at least." Was it really okay to guilt him into it? She had him exactly where she wanted him. At this point, she probably could've asked anything from him. Her eyes sparkled with the thought of fame. No, but this was wrong.

"Ichigo, you know I'd do anything to make things right again." She just couldn't bring herself to say it, not with that trusting voice that she rarely heard. He had called her Ichigo for the second time, to take advantage now would be like breaking his unspoken trust in her.

"Put a shirt on" The red-haired cat girl said bluntly.

"Oh...Okay." Ryou had been a little thrown off, having expected a serious request from his strawberry. He gave a soft chuckle. "Hurry up and change Ichigo. I'll walk you home afterwards."

* * *

The night air was slightly chilly as the pair walked together in awkward silence, only the steps of their feet could be heard. The glow of the moon shone brightly through the night clouds, illuminating Ichigo's thoughtful face. The sleeves of the oversized dress shirt she wore were rolled over her wrists and the legs of the sweatpants covered her shoes. Ryou walked beside her, holding a bag with her wet clothes in one hand.

Ryou recalled the series of events that had led him to this very position, only inches away from Ichigo. And though he still felt very distant from her despite the short physical distance he was from her now, he also knew that the wide gap that had existed between them was beginning to shrink, even if it was happening very slowly.

Ichigo – he had finally managed to call by her first name. Or rather, she had finally allowed him to. And she... she too had called him by his first name, Ryou. It made his heart skip a beat to hear her utter the simple sound.

Of course, there was also the matter of that kiss. He had begun to kiss her to silence her annoying and uncontrollable screams - well no, it wasn't for just that purpose as he indeed enjoyed the contact of her lips. But that kiss was different from all the others. It had been meaningful and intense. It was the type people waited for during an entire lifetime and may never get. It was their first real kiss. He couldn't have been over thinking it. He was sure he felt Ichigo's feelings there.

He could still clearly taste her soft lips on his when he had put all his emotion into the kiss. He had been unable to resist the urge to deepen it and to his astonishment, when he had dropped all inhibitions, she had _actually_ kissed back. For the first time, he wasn't the one in the control of their physical contact as he welcomed her tongue slipping into his mouth. He smiled at the thought. She hadn't just _let _him, she had wanted it from him, she had welcomed it.

He also swore that he had heard Ichigo chanting in his empty bedroom about how she loved Masaya which sounded more like she was trying to convince herself rather than anyone else. A year ago, Ryou had decided to leave Ichigo's happiness in that annoyingly perfect Aoyama's hands. He had entrusted him with her happiness and safety. He had backed off because he thought Aoyama would be the one most suitable to carry out that task, but was that truly for the best?

Her eyes glimmered in the darkness while they were focused on the pavement. Her lips shut in a slight frown and locks of strawberry colored hair swung loosely from her head. He watched her silently, uncertain of what to say.

"I can't be seen with you." She managed to mutter under her breath. "What if Masaya sees me?" That was a little harsh, after everything that had happened that night.

"We're just walking Strawberry, nothing else." He replied coolly, as if not at all affected by what had happened between them earlier.

"I don't care. Just – "

"Look, I'm not going to let you walk home alone. How about I walk a bit behind you?" He was just a little hurt by her words. After all, he was almost certain he had felt something from her in that kiss earlier. And yet, once again here she was talking about that annoying Aoyama. But he couldn't have possibly expected something different right? He was, in fact, still her boyfriend and no amount of one-sided kisses was going to change that.

Her eyes narrowed their focus on the ground, considering his words. Finally she gave in. "Okay but move a little further back."

He stayed five steps behind her. "Further."

Ten steps.

"Further."

Fifteen.

"More!"

This was getting absolutely ridiculous.

"I SAID to MOVE BACK! Are you deaf?" she screamed, when he stopped in place.

"Any further and I won't be able to see you!" Ryou screamed across the length of the block, slightly annoyed.

"SHHH!" Ichigo immediately ran over to him, and covered his mouth with one hand. "People will _HEAR_ you." Her eyes were shifting from side to side, as if at any moment, someone was going to pop out from the bushes just to get a look at the two of them. He rolled his eyes at her absurdity. What a paranoid Baka. Though there _was_ a way to solve this, as Ryou's eyes lit up in realization.

"How about this?" He said as he removed her hand from his mouth. He inched closer towards her face as he lifted her chin, lips almost in contact when suddenly...

Eww. When did her lips taste like Mr. Clean? Wait. Was that her hand he felt on his lips?!

She stared at him, hands covering her own mouth. "I don't want to be the cat. You be the cat. We're only about two minutes from home anyway." Darn, plan foiled! Although it was more of the kiss he missed that he was disappointed with, rather than Ichigo's transformation into a cat.

"Fine, but I was planning to carry you."

"I don't care. I've had enough of those ears and tails today." She snapped in annoyance.

"Hai, hai, hai." Ryou said in complete defeat, handing the bag of wet clothes to Ichigo. Under the veil of the shadows, he ran behind a tree and emerged from it a few seconds later as Alto.

"Don't expect me to carry you." She said coldly to the lavender cat. Well she didn't even have to say that. He never thought she would.

"And I'm still not walking next to you." The redhead said stubbornly.

As a result, Alto the blue-eyed cat was left following Ichigo home from behind. She really was acting like such a child and a paranoid one at that. Nonetheless, the cat found that he could not leave the redhead until she had reached home safely.

"Ichigo dear, what in heavens are you wearing?" A warm yellow light streamed out of the Momomiya home into the darkness of the streets as the woman standing at the doorway spoke. Before the woman continued the thought however, she squealed in sudden delight as she ran over to her daughter. "What an adorable koneko!" Her attention was set on the small cat that stood beside Ichigo.

The redhead sent him a piercing glare. He wasn't supposed to follow her all the way here.

"It seems like it followed you all the way home Ichigo. It must be a stray." Her mother's voice was sympathetic. Before either of the pair noticed, she had already lifted the small cat off the ground and swirled him around in the air. "Let's bring it in," her mother said, beaming.

* * *

I truly could not resist with that stripping comment, even though it might've been a little out of character for Ryou-- it was just the perfect moment to make her seem like a complete perv. Honestly, Ryou's a lot more fun when he's meaner even though he really isn't SO bad in the anime.

Okay so personally, not my best chapter. Therefore, I've decided to post the next chapter even though I didn't get the 5 reviews I wanted.

So...opinions about the flow of the story? Is the story going too slow? Is there anything in particular you'd like to happen?(Other than Ichigo and Masaya breaking up - Not to worry, I'm soo against that pair but I wanna keep Masaya in character. I don't think he'd be the type to cheat or anything so I'm probably not going to have a dramatic breakup like that...) Any comment about the writing style? I've noticed that my writing style has shifted since the beginning of the story. It was funnier near the beginning but now it's become a little more serious and with more dialogue. Which do you prefer?


	11. Can we keep him?

This chapter was a little difficult to write. I'm starting to feel my writing style getting a little strained. Therefore, the chapter updates will most probably be slowing down, and I honestly will not be updating until I get at least 5 reviews.

Meanwhile, I might start another story or a one shot to help me through the sudden writer's block. Check out 'Unspoken words'.

Have fun reading! Please read and review.

Please note that I will soon be renaming this story "**Starlight**." Keep an eye out for the title next time.

* * *

**Chapter 11****: Can we keep him?**

"It seems like it followed you all the way home Ichigo. It must be a stray." Her mother's voice was sympathetic. Before either of the pair noticed, she had already lifted the small cat off the ground and swirled him around in the air. "Let's bring it in," her mother said, beaming.

"No!" Ichigo screamed as she reached over for the cat. She grabbed it from her mother's arms.

"Huh?"

"What I uh, meant to say was that uh, animals are meant to be free." She held Alto in her hands, eyes twitching as she compelled herself to pet him as if she was truly concerned for his welfare, though the lavender cat was physically wincing in pain at the force of her violent strokes. The last thing she needed was to have Ryou in her home. She just wanted to lie down. She had enough of the not so fun filled Ryou-madness for one night.

"If you love something, you have to let them go ne?" She proceeded to let the now frantic cat on the floor, who currently cursed at her in cat speech for her lack of gentleness.

"Don't be silly Ichigo." Her mother picked up the wild kitten before Ichigo had a chance to let go. "See how much panic you've caused it by saying you'd leave it out on the streets?" she chided her daughter lightly. Sure. That was why he was meowing nonstop and trying to wiggle out of her mother's arms.

Then turning her attention to the cat wearing a green handkerchief, Ichigo's mother began walking inside with the struggling blue-eyed cat in hand.

"Now let's see if…"Ichigo listened as her mother's voice faded into the distance. She was speaking to the cat.

Wait.

Oh GOD. Did she just ask whether it was a boy or a girl?

"It's a boy it's a BOY!" Ichigo screamed after her mom as she scampered inside in extreme panic, closing the door behind her. She knew that if her mother wasn't stopped, she – that is, Ichigo, would have hell to pay tomorrow at work. With all previously confusing thoughts of her bipolar boss forgotten, she focused all her efforts at the single most important issue at hand- and that was to save her transformed boss before he decided that Ichigo truly was better off recieving no pay for her work at all.

"DAD!" She screamed in utmost panic. She had just gotten inside and her mother, along with transformed Shirogane, were nowhere to be found. He was sitting on the couch, with his back at Ichigo. The light of the television flickered as her father raised the remote and pressed a button. "Yes, Ichigo?" he responded, eyes still on the TV set.

"Where's mom?"

"Huh?"

"I said WHERE'S MOM?!" she raised her voice a notch to be heard over the television, a little frantic – well, a LOT frantic. Although at this point, she wasn't sure whether she was more concerned about Shirogane, or her poor unsuspecting mother who may soon suffer the consequences of offending a very violent cat.

"Um, she said something about a bath for a stray cat? I think. Can't really tell, she was squealing so much." He said as he slowly turned around to face her.

Nope. Shirogane was definitely the one in trouble.

"No, no, no! Not by MY strawberry bells!" The redhead cried as raced up the staircase that led to the second floor of the Momomiya House.

"WHAT are you wearing, ICHIGO?" her father screamed after her, eyes growing wide as he suddenly noticed the over sized dress shirt and sweat pants that covered his sweet daughter's innocent body. "Do those clothes belong to a **BOY**? My precious daughter, oh my precious daughter…I'm going to kill that bastard! How DARE he touch my only daughter! That Aoyama. I can't believe I trusted that dishonest little ..." Though he continued to mutter death threats while mourning the lost purity of his only daughter in this way, Ichigo had long opted to tune him out. She would deal with him later.

When she finally made it up the stairs and in front of the bathroom, she paused for a minute to catch her breath. She brought her trembling hand to the doorknob, hoping, praying to the holiness of Mew Aqua that Shirogane would let her live through tomorrow. Maybe, just maybe things weren't as bad as she feared. She took a deep breath, and proceeded to turn the handle.

The bathroom door was locked. God no. This could not be happening. She grabbed at masses of hair and proceeded to knock her head on the bathroom door repeatedly. She could only imagine what Shirogane had in store for her tomorrow. Though honestly, no matter how much anguish he would cause her tomorrow at work, she knew that no amount could measure up to what he was going through now. It just had to be that bad.

"Yes?" It was her mother's voice.

"Whatchya doing?" Ichigo asked innocently. Goodness, this wasn't the time to be asking nicely. She should be ramming down the door to help her transformed boss escape, though she did have the urge to do it. "Can you let me in?"

"Sure as soon as I get this stain off of his – b" But before her mother finished the sentence, Ichigo managed to snap open the lock with her hairpin, a nifty trick she learned from Pudding who had used it to get to the stash of locked sweets at the café.

Alto was covered in foam and he was glaring at her mother as she held him quite tightly with one hand while scrubbing him with the other. He wore the biggest scowl she had ever seen. It was...it really was something, she thought as she fought the urge to laugh. She couldn't imagine her emotionless boss making a face like that. But then again, she hadn't imagined her jerk of a boss would, or rather _could_ kiss her like that earlier that night. She shook her head to chase away the thought. Tonight was a night of many surprises.

She watched the scene in silence at first, uncertain if she would live to see another day if she gave in to the urge to laugh. If the situation wasn't so dire, it might actually be funny. Though really, at this point she couldn't resist upon seeing the crown of foam he wore on top of his head as it began dripping over his eyes.

Plop! Cross that. As a lob of foam had made its way onto Alto's nose.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She bent over, hugging her stomach in exhaustion and proceeded to cough as she had completely run out of breath. Here was her supposedly cool and always calm boss, being scrubbed down by her own mother like a two year old, completely covered with soft foamy bubbles, appearing SO utterly not cool.

"MeoWmeow!" Alto cried as if he thought that lowering her wage would really make the situation any less funny.

"Meow!" Overtime.

"MEOW!" No holidays.

Having exhausted every possibility, he could still not stop Ichigo's uncontrollable laughter.

"I'm..haha….sorry mom. But.._sniffle_…please let me…haha…_tear…_"she motioned to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand, as she suddenly cringed at the smell of Mr. Clean, and continued speaking. Brought to her senses, or rather, disgusted with the scent of detergent, she stopped laughing "Please let me take care of this. Why don't you relax downstairs for once." And though Ichigo would have honestly loved to continue torturing her soulless boss from hell, she could not forget the ten minute time limit for his transformation.

"Oh all right, but don't let him escape." Her mother handed her the cat and scrub before leaving the bathroom.

The kitten in hand soon transformed into her life sized boss from hell. And for the second time tonight, Ichigo found that she was once again lying on a bathroom floor with Shirogane.

"I-chi-go..." There was a low rumble to his hushed voice. Ryou had transformed right when her mother had left, unable to stay a cat for any longer. But he was still wearing the same scowl as he was before, dripping wet and covered with an excess of foam while pinning down the helpless Ichigo. The muscles between his eyebrows were contracted tightly as she observed, thinking that at any moment, his temples could pop from anger.

While being quite helpless lying on the ground, the redhead still could not contain an enormous smile even if she was receiving many splatters of foam from Ryou's drippingly soapy clothes. "Oh, I'll make you regret that…" he said as a sudden glint appeared in the sapphire orbs that were his eyes. He moved closer towards her face as she struggled to turn away. With nowhere to go, and quite securely fastened down, Ichigo received a tap on the lips as Ryou's met hers for just a brief second.

POP! "MEOW!" Enter killer cat Ichigo. "Meow meow meow!"

"Unlike you, I can turn back at will." He wore his signature smirk smugly, though there really was no other way to wear it. A gorgeously irresistible demon was still a demon after all. She swore that if she was to ever transform back into a human, Ryou Shirogane would have more to worry about than just a little foam on his behind.

Meanwhile, her dad had been calling outside.

"-- a boy's voice? Who's up there with you Ichigo? Is it that Aoyama again? Tonight's the last night he'll --" And so he continued his ranting though Ichigo, finding there was little value in his words, continued her berserk behavior as a feral cat.

"meowMEOWgrrrruffffff" Did she just bark? She couldn't quite tell as she was now making incoherent sounds of a wildcat hacking crossed with a feral dog growling. How DARE he? She would make sure to get him back tonight.

"Honey! What are you doing to that poor cat? He —_as she was now certain— _sounds so angry." Ichigo silently cursed at the obliviousness of her mother for letting the devil into their home. "I'm coming up."

"Hm." Ryou sat calmly on the bathroom floor, pinning down kitty Ichigo with one foot while he contemplated the situation at hand.

"Ichigo—" the door swung open for Ichigo's mother. She froze in place at the scene before her.

Luckily for Ichigo, though perhaps not so lucky for Ryou, the blond realized it was not in his best interest to keep Ichigo as a cat and in the very next moment, he had transformed into Alto to give the spitting feline Ichigo another tap on the lips. Though he had certainly been enjoying the sight of Ichigo once again dashing around like mad, he did find it difficult to account for her sudden disappearance despite his secret hope for Ichigo's mother to come in and give kitty Ichigo a similar bubble bath. And that string of thoughts was exactly what led them to their current position – that is, Ichigo kneeling on the ground with two hands wrapped firmly around the lavender kitten's neck. She had been holding in this urge for too long, as she had wanted to do this upon almost immediately meeting her most reviled infuriating boss from hell. She was just taking the liberty to send him back to the depths of the underworld.

"Ichigo!" her mother screamed in utter horror. "What is _wrong _with you?"

"Meowmeowmeowmeow (_That's what I've been asking myself)." _Alto jumped away from the two Momomiya females, now thoroughly convinced that the Momimya's had inert genes for animal cruelty, and splashed into the bathtub. Though getting completely soaked was bad enough, he had chosen the lesser of two evils. Well, make that three.

Alto sent a glare at Ichigo, who only rolled her eyes in reply. It wasn't as if she was _actually _going to strangle him to death. Maybe she should have settled with pulling on his ears and tail instead…

"Mom, you _scared_ him with your yelling," Ichigo said accusingly as she pointed to the kitten hiding inside the bathtub, completely distracting her from what had just happened. "Come on now Alto," she cooed sweetly as she approached the shivering cat.

The woman glanced at her daughter suspiciously, but upon hearing her words, figured that somehow she must imagined the whole thing. "Ichigo, weren't you just…"

The redhead turned around to look at her mother innocently, with the wet cat in her arms though how she managed to get him to return was beyond her. She had him wrapped in a towel and was gently rubbing his ears. "Aww, isn't that a sweet little kitty," she murmured. "Don't be scared now, Alto." Besides, he had so much more to fear once her mother was out of sight. He had almost made her look like an utterly insane animal beater in front of her mom.

Her mother suddenly squealed in delight. "You gave him a name?! Can we keep him?" she asked giddily as if she was the child. How ridiculous, as if the redhead would ever agree to keep this pest around her any longer than she needed to. Seriously, all those random mishaps seemed to only occur with him around, transformed or not.

Although, he was just a tad bit cute as he remained purring in her arms. Ichigo couldn't resist a smile as she continued to pet him.

"He _is_ cute ne?" Her mother asked, seeing the smile grow on her daughter's face.

"Wh- no! Don't be ridiculous." She cried as she turned a little pink. She extended her arms out with the very confused kitten hanging limply in her hands. "We're not keeping this thing."

"Meow?" the kitten turned his head to face her, eyes watery as if pleading to let him stay.

"S-stop that Alto! Don't you try to be cute." What did he think he was doing? He couldn't possibly stay with them and she was sure he didn't actually want to. He was just up to his old tricks again, once again putting her in another sticky situation.

**Ding-dong! Ding-dong!**

"Who could that be at this hour?" Ichigo's mother wondered as she got up from the ground.

"Maybe his owner?" the helpless girl on the ground muttered as she mindlessly continued to pet the wet cat. "You should probably go check."

The woman gave one final glance at her daughter, who seemed to be impatiently waiting for her to leave. "Play nice!" she said before heading downstairs to get the door.

As soon as the woman left, blue-eyed Alto transformed back into blue-eyed Ryou. "I'm hurt. Why wouldn't you want to keep me?" He said in a low murmur as he sat on the ground facing across from Ichigo. He leaned towards her, palms pressed against the floor as he crawled closer.

"Shiro-" she began to say as she nervously retreated. She leaned backwards, arms supporting her weight from behind. "Shiroga-" She froze in place, mentally shuddering at the thought of what was to come. Besides, running around as a kitten didn't seem appealing at all, as she recalled puckering her furry lips to a disgusted Mint. Transforming into a cat made her no better than her kissing hungry boss, though quite honestly, it was probably a much nicer experience for her to kiss him than for Mint to kiss a desperate and perhaps flea infested cat. Not that she was admitting it was a pleasant experience to accept a kiss from him, just that it'd definitely be better than kissing something furry.

"Stop talking to yourself already Strawberry and just Shhh" He hushed the stuttering girl, bringing one finger up to her lips. He had that look in his eyes again, a symbol of his alternate playboy personality. Did she dare allow the lips of a devil touch her own?

He carefully traced his finger around her trembling lips and then brought his hand to the back of her neck. "Ryou, remember?" He said, never once breaking the unflinching gaze he held with Ichigo. She gave a slight involuntary shiver when suddenly...

Pop! Her ears appeared at the sound of the low rumble of his voice, like a purr. Ryou…she still had a hard time bringing herself to say it so simply.

Suddenly, Ichigo found herself wrapped in his arms. The motion was quick, rough and unexpected...

And it wasn't at all pleasant.

"Ewww! Soap suds" she cried upon realizing how very wet Ryou's clothes were.

"Enjoy the hug?" he said, arms still around the redhead as he proceeded to …

Eww, was he rubbing himself against her?

"Ahh, get off of me!" she cried, utterly disgusted and feeling somewhat…dirty. Even though she was covered in wet soapy, but now clean, clothes.

"Are you sure you want me to?" He said, reaching for her cat ears with one hand while still holding her in the disgustingly wet hug. "You seem a little…" he began stroking them "…excited." He murmured softly into her human ears.

"_Purr_…Eww…_purr_…You'd never…_purr_…be the one…_purrpurr_…to get me…_purr…_excited." She said, effects of her fake gags now utterly destroyed. She was now quite angry with herself for being unable to fight her feline instincts.

"Oh?" He wore an amused smile, though Ichigo couldn't see it from her position. "Pray tell, why would a cat be purring when she is completely soaked?"

He had her there. A cat's utter revulsion for water was well-known. She hated when he was right as he so often was, but there was no way she would every let him know that.

"OWIE nya." He had released her from his grip and proceeded to flick her with his other hand. "Don't get too excited now. We wouldn't want you to turn into a cat completely." He said, signature smirk plastered on his smug face. "I haven't even given you a kiss yet."

"As if I'd want one!" Though her blushing face and cat features said otherwise, she grimaced at his words as if she was completely disgusted with the idea. Who did he think he was? Like she'd be ecstatic for him to grant her the contact of his lips. Oh please! Besides, with the way he was acting, he had probably 'graced' his lips to half the girls in Tokyo by now.

"Hmph!" But of course, it was nothing for _her_ to get annoyed at. Goodness, she didn't even want to be near the kissing maniac. Oh how the tables have turned! When she was known as the kissing maniac of the streets, he had always been there when she needed a kiss, yet now...What the hell was she thinking? She needed to transform, what was _his_ reason for randomly smooching her? It wasn't as if he particularly _needed _it.

No, no, no, she did NOT just consider giving in. Hell, she wasn't even in the position of receiving a kiss so why had she thought about it so seriously? But he had said he hadn't given her one _yet_, meaning that it was coming right? Truthfully, maybe she might just enjoy it, but...well was it really that bad if she did? Goodness, of course it was, how could she even consider enjoying it, much less accepting it? She wasn't just another Ryou Shirogane fangirl. No, she wasn't even one of his fangirls at all!

"Trying to convince yourself you don't want a taste?" He said, smirk still in place. "You're making that face again. The one where you stare off somewhere stupidly then squint like you didn't like hearing what you just thought."

"Shut up you idiot."

"Ehem. Aren't _you_ the one making the moronic face? So which side is winning in that debate going on in your head?"

How absolutely ridiculous! How dare he say such a thing! She wasn't looking moronic at all, and she wasn't having a silent debate in her head, was she? Of course not! Just as she wasn't doing it now either.

Good GOD, he was right again wasn't he?

Well why wouldn't he be considering he was the cause of it? All the confusion and contradictions, all those HEADACHES. It'd make sense that he would know, considering he was probably doing this to her on purpose - that is make herself question every other thing she said. It was all planned! That's just what he did. If he couldn't physically torture her with excess work, then he'd find other ways to torture her, such as messing with her currently very fragile mental state. But it was only fragile at this point specifically _because_ he had been playing all these mind games with her. Truly the work of the devil. Though if she completely lost it now, she may have some inkling of understanding the incomprehensible madness that was Shirogane's way of thinking.

Ugh. And he _still_ had that arrogant look on his face. As if he was right ...well he was ... As if he could know what was going on in her head.

"You know baka, I didn't _actually_ want you to answer that question. And talking to yourself some more really won't help considering both sides of that silent debate is argued by the same baka."

Goodness. His mind reading powers were getting a little scary. She really had to double check on whether the devil had such abilities.

She randomly grabbed at any nearby objects winding up her arms to attack him, but before she managed to throw the shampoo bottle that was in her hand at her all too self-satisfied boss, she heard her mother calling.

"Ichigo!" Her mother's voice was coming from below. "Aoyama-kun is here to see you."

"NANI?" she screeched wide-eyed, causing Ryou to cover his ears at the sudden high-pitched sound. She jumped up and glared at the blond who still sat on the floor across from her. "SHHHHH" She said suddenly, as if he had been the one to cause the sudden commotion.

This could not be happening. How on Earth was she going to get out of this? And why, oh why, was her aggravating boss _always_ causing trouble? Was it intentional? Of course it was intentional. Why did she even ask that? What she should be asking is _why_ would he be such a jerk intentionally, because it obviously wasn't possible to be as mean as he was without trying. But trying to understand what went on in his head was impossible, as she was sure that anyone who would be able to would have to be driven mentally insane first. Ichigo proceeded to smack herself with the bottom of her palm. Maybe it was all a dream. She looked up. Nope he was still there.

"Okay okay okay." She said utterly panicked. "Go hide in my room or something. Don't you DARE let anyone see you as a human."

"Oh?"He gave a slight grin, a little amused. "So you're inviting me to your room now?"

"Geez, just SHHHHHHHH!" she grabbed him by the shirt ready to slam him into a wall, though she resisted the urge, and dragged him with her.

"STAY HERE!" She pushed him through the doorway to her very pink room. She took a deep breath.

Just as she was began to walk away, her blond boss in a dripping mess, opened the door suddenly.

"I thought I told you to – " she had been ready to scream her head off at him, if not for the fact that a certain someone was waiting downstairs. Really, hadn't he had enough of turning her into a nervous wreck for one night?

She suddenly felt the weight of something on her head.

"Your ears Ichigo," he whispered as he placed a cap over her to cover them. "Do something about your tail too."

A little surprised, she nodded and said "Thanks Ryou," before proceeding to dash down the stairs.

Just as she left, blue-eyed Ryou transformed into Alto with a slight grin on his face. It wasn't really as though he cared what that Aoyama had to say, just a little curious. He _was_ after all, a cat. And he wasn't quite ready to let this night of fun end so soon. Alto, still dripping wet, followed Ichigo from behind, only stopping when he reached the top of the steps.

"Ichigo. We need to talk." Masaya's tone was serious, but what could this be about? He looked at Ichigo; his expression suddenly changing into utmost surprise as both eyebrows were raised at what she was wearing. "About Shirogane-san."

She shifted about uneasily, one hand hidden behind her, holding together her looped up tail.

"And about those clothes."

* * *

Ooh! Is someone gonna get in trouble? Heeheehee...well, we'll just have to see


	12. Masaya's Troubles

Here it is, the newest chapter! What is so serious about this conversation that Masaya had to come over in the middle of the night?

Show me some love guys!Read and review please. Let me know which part of this chapter was the funniest, which was your favorite, and any particular comments you'd like to tell me.

* * *

**Chapter 12****: Masaya's Troubles**

"So what did you need to talk about?" Ichigo's mother had finally managed to drag her father out of the living room and convinced him against potentially murdering the innocent Masaya by bribing him with a week long vacation alone as a couple.

"Why are you wearing those clothes?" He began to ask uncomfortably. She could tell something was on his mind and he wasn't exactly ready to let her know his suspicions yet

"Oh, I just found some of my dad's old clothes so that I could give this stray kitten a bath." Well it wasn't an entire lie.

"That explains why you're covered with soap suds." Masaya's tensed shoulder's relaxed just a bit.

"Yup." Good save.

"Well, about Shirogane-san..." Masaya turned away from Ichigo as he spoke. "I think --" There was a sudden crash coming from the second floor, interrupting his thoughts. Ichigo, silently cursing at the idiot cat that was upstairs, took her boyfriend by the hand and pretended as if she heard nothing at all. She sat down on the couch and pulled him down to sit beside her.

"You were saying?" Ichigo said with a strained smile.

"What was that?"

Smile, smile. "What was what?" Ryou Shirogane was going to be the death of her. She hoped desperately that Masaya would drop it.

Masaya suddenly pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her as he whispered. "I - I'm afraid. T-to lose you to Shirogane-san, because it's become obvious to me...over all this time, that he lov- loves you." Ichigo hadn't seen him wince at the final words.

Her eyes grew wide in shock at what he was suggesting. She pushed him away from her to get a good look at him, because she honestly couldn't tell if he was joking around.

He couldn't possibly be serious. She'd have to go bring him to get his head checked if he was. Mr. Ryou Shirogane, the meanest jerk to her of all time, the demon who exploited her for slave labor, like **HER**? She shuddered at the idea. How preposterous! She was now even using words beyond her normal vocabulary so shocked as she was from Masaya's completely absurd suspicions.

"God Masaya. Are we even talking about the same Shirogane here? Cuz the last time I checked, he was the creep who publicly humiliated me on stage, made me look like an idiot, and made me work overtime _without_ pay. Are we talking about the same jerk whose sole purpose is to make my life miserable? I'd hardly consider that anything close to love, or even like. In fact, I'd have to question if he likes me as a person at ALL, and now you're talking about love?"

"Think about it, is it really that impossible? Haven't you seen the way he looks at you Ichigo?" his head was down as he stared at his twiddling thumbs.

"You mean when he stares at me like I'm an idiot and then screams at me to get more work done?"

"Ichigo..."

"I think you need to redefine what liking someone means because it seems to me that you obviously can't tell the difference."

"Can you just listen for a minute?" Masaya grabbed her by the shoulders, voice subtly displaying a trace of anger. "How can you even say that? Of course I know what it means to like someone, to love them Ichigo. Because I love _you_ and it's also because I love you that I'm worried."

"About Shirogane?" Has Masaya lost his mind?

"Yes."

"That's just so..." The redhead gave her boyfriend a long stare, considering his words.

"AHAHAHAHAHA" she burst out laughing suddenly, in uncontrollable fits of laughter complete with heavy breathing and sudden gasps for breath. "You've got to be kidding. You can't possibly be serious. And besides, what's there to even worry about?" Shirogane wasn't even comparable to her perfect boyfriend. She was surprised that he would _ever _consider him even close to a threat. Her laughing gradually stopped as she motioned to wipe away her teary eyes from the hilarity of what he was saying.

Then, her eyes grew wide with sudden realization at what exactly Masaya was suggesting. That he considered him a threat..."Oh heavens no!" She jumped up from the couch.

"God, you don't mean – You're not actually worried that _**I**_ could love him are you?!" She shook her head violently. He really didn't understand her at all and at this moment, she couldn't understand what was going on in his head lately.

"No, no, no. You've got it all wrong if you think I could possibly EVER fall in love with him. What's gotten into you Masaya? I'd think you of all people would know how I despise him, how much he makes me want to strangle him to death."

" – Ichigo"

"There's just no way I could ever like a rude snob like him. Just talking to him makes me want to shoot myself sometimes, did you know that? He's the last person I would ever like."

" – Ichigo" Masaya continued calling to no avail.

"And goodness, that annoying little smirk he makes as if he's always right – I want to just wipe it away from that smug expression of his – maybe wash his mouth out with a bar of soap, that is, if I wasn't soo disgusted by the fact that I'd be even near his mouth – "

"ICHIGO!" Masaya had once again grabbed her by the shoulders to get her to listen and forced her to sit down on the couch. "Will you just stop for a moment?"

He sighed. "See this is exactly what I mean. Of course I know what you're talking about, it's all I hear about when you have these kinds of outbursts. Even though you say you hate him, you just can't stop talking about him!"

She rolled her eyes at him, exasperated. Goodness. Her first fight with her perfect boyfriend was going to be about Shirogane?! "That's BECAUSE I hate him." Seeing Masaya's grim look, she continued "...so much that there just aren't enough words to describe the extent of my dislike for him."

She shrugged off his hands and stood up to speak again, hands resting upon her hips while her foot tapped the ground in annoyance. "Look, will you stop with this nonsense? It's absolutely unbelievable. Couldn't you at least have found someone or something I'd be more likely to fall in love with?"

"Like who?" he suddenly raised his eyes at her suspiciously.

"Like I dunno." Tap tap tap. "Mint?"

"Whoa, what? You like girls?" His eyes now widened with worry as if he had stumbled upon something worst than he had expected.

"Heavens no, but that's my point. I'd be more likely to fall in love with Mint than Shirogane, hell I'd fall in love with a cat before that happens."

"Ichigo, you're exaggerating. He can't be as bad as you say."

"What, now you're _defending _the guy?" Goodness, she wondered how exactly the minds of men worked. Were they all bipolar? Couldn't they just decide on one thing and stick to it?

"No, it's just...It seems like you're trying too hard to deny it." He shifted his gaze from Ichigo's eyes. "And besides, Shirogane-san has what it takes to be an idol – the looks, the talent. And he practically confessed his love to you that time he sang on stage with you." She certainly had felt _something _with those words, but it was only because he had delivered the song so well, and it was in fact, one of his favorites.

"They're called lyrics Masaya. He couldn't have la la la-ed the whole song." In any case, the experience hadn't ended pleasantly as she recalled the angry Ryou storming away from them, which he would not have done if he had felt anything for her, as Masaya claimed and as she was sure he did not. If it was really a confession, he'd be smarter than to speak so rudely to her immediately afterwards. Considering he was a genius, he must have known that a real confession actually requires the person to stay still and _talk_ about their feelings. But it wasn't as though she was particularly hoping for anything resembling a confession. No siree. She was just logically disproving Masaya's suspicions.

"Even so, he has the idol charm. He has the looks, the talent, wealth, and by god, he's even a genius. You can't be more attracted to..." He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat at what he was about to say. "Mint- san over someone like that, even if she's just as rich."

He had a point there other than the fact that he had made Ryou seem so much better than he really was and besides the fact that his accusations were totally absurd. But of course there was no way on Earth, heaven, hell or in all the universe that she could like Ryou any more than he could like her right? He was just her typical (other than the fact that he was absolutely gorgeous) cynical overworking her to death slavedriver kind of boss, even if they had shared a couple of meaningless kisses in which she may or may not have accidentally kissed back...that Masaya was _never_ to find out about, especially after Ichigo had seen him in this state.

"Oh Masaya, is that what it's about? And here I was thinking you had completely lost your mind." She had been seriously considering it, since jealous Masaya wasn't what she was used to. But that may have well been because she had not known him as well as she thought she had.

Masaya maintained his stare at their living room clock and away from Ichigo's eyes as he remained completely silent.

"I don't care that you can't sing. You're being so silly. You have the looks, a different set of talents and you're kind. And I don't care about money. My love can't be bought because no matter what, it's _you_ I love." She smiled at him reassuringly, at her not-so-perfect boyfriend, but boyfriend nonetheless. She raised a hand to his cheek and turned his head to face her as he placed his own hand upon the one Ichigo had on his cheek. She watched those hopeful eyes of his, those beautiful eyes that saw only her. He moved his face closer to hers, slowly closing the distance between them.

Was it finally happening, her ideal first real kiss with Masaya? Those were – those were Masaya's lips! And that, that was his breath. She could only imagine touching those perfect lips, staring off into those dreamy eyes...

Pop! Her ears were twitching nervously and her tail just couldn't keep still.

Her lips tensed up upon contact with Masaya's lips. It was, after all, the moment she had been waiting for all this time, to finally be able to touch his soft lips with her own. Though she should be relaxing her lips at this moment right? She mentally screamed at herself for not knowing what to do. Was she going to ruin the perfect moment just like this?

Wait wait wait. Was...was he opening his mouth?! Wasn't he expecting too much from a first kiss? She was having a hard enough time with it as it was, trying to deal with her stiff lips. But, why was she worried? Shouldn't she _want _this to happen? Oh good heavens, what was she supposed to do with that tongue of his?!

She slowly made her way backwards as she pulled from his prying tongue, hoping that he wouldn't follow. She retreated along the couch, slowly shifting over as she supported her weight with her hands. With her eyes shut tight, as her lips still were, she hadn't noticed that her palm rested on the very edge of the couch. A little more and she'd be free from that persistent tongue of his.

THUD. Her hand had slipped off the couch, causing her to lose balance and fall off. Yet another typical Ichigo move.

"Umm..." she muttered awkwardly from the ground.

Masaya chuckled at her carelessness. She was more laughable than he had known her to be. "Come on up," he said as he offered her a hand. With his help, she settled herself back on the couch. Her head was down as she stared at her knees in silence. Her hands were tense against her sides.

"You know Ichigo," he scratched his head as if a little uncertain of what to say. "It's okay for your first kiss – to not know how to I mean. Just, relax"

She stared at him dumbly. Ironic he was teaching her to kiss, though she was glad to hear that he thought it was her first one.

The irony was in the fact that he was certainly not a great kisser, and not in the fact that she had kissed so many more times before she noted silently to herself. But it wasn't as if she had wanted any of those kisses with Ryo- Shirogane before even if some of them were amazin-- no, they were just decent-- so they couldn't really count right?

Either way, their 'ideal' first kiss had not been at all what she had expected. Still, he was her all time most perfect boyfriend in the world. "Oh Masaya, thanks for being so understanding." She chuckled awkwardly.

"So...do you wanna um...try that again?" He inched forward. Good Heavens no!

"I – uh" Ichigo looked for the right words to say, but found none.

"Shh..." he whispered as he raised a finger to her lips. Just like Ryou had done earlier that night.

"What the- " Why on Earth did he keep appearing at the strangest moments in her mind?

He pulled her in, with one arm around her waist. She felt his persistent tongue in her mouth, searching through it. It was...slimey. Gross. But weren't all tongues slimey? It was kind of like...when she got licked across the face by that dog, only...now it was in her mouth.

But not all kisses were slimey, nor did they all resemble getting licked by a dog inside her mouth. If so, why hadn't she noticed it with Ryou before? Why hadn't she noticed what a disgusting experience kissing someone was with him?

Pop! Luckily for Ichigo, turning into a cat broke the kiss. Just as she transformed, she thought she saw a purple blob pass by...

"HSSSSSSSSSSSS." Slash.

"AHHH!" It was Masaya's voice. He was holding both hands against his face.

"GOOD boy ALTO!" Ichigo's dad beamed. "I'm going to give you so many kitty treats for that. Hey honey, let's keep him!" He picked up the kitten as he screamed across the kitchen. Even as a cat, Ryou managed to maintain a smug look on his face.

"Huh? Where'd Ichigo go? I swear I saw that Aoyama sucking face with her." Her father's eyes began to burn with a new anger. At these words, Alto hopped off of his arms and found a very surprised black kitten sitting on the ground, beneath the table.

"Meowmeowmew (Get behind the couch.)" Alto mewed to the stunned cat and hopped over to the other side while Ichigo followed gratefully.

"Meow err Meow. (I'm, uh, sorry for interrupting.)" Though from the look on Alto's face, Ichigo could tell he really wasn't. She didn't even know why he bothered with these fake apologies.

He gave her a light tap on the lips as her father continued to compliment Alto and curse at the likes of Aoyama. Masaya, meanwhile was still sitting on the couch, very much in pain as his face was stinging from the scratch he received from a certain grumpy cat.

"Dad!" she screamed as she crawled out from behind the couch.

"Ichigo, how'd you get there?" he asked, totally shocked.

"Dad. Get out." He was ruining a moment between her and Masaya, although a part of her was a little glad about it. That being beside the point, she still had to tend to his wounds.

"And leave you alone with that bastard?"

"DADD!"

"Okay, okay. But Alto's staying here." He turned to the cat and converted to baby speech. "Now isn't that right, guchiigoo. I'm gonna give you whatever you want!" and then in a hushed whisper, though not so hushed since everyone could hear, he said "Keep an eye on that bastard!"

"Meow (Will do)." The lavender cat hopped on top of the table, right in front of the couch, glaring at the injured Masaya. "God, what's with you tonight Alto?" she muttered under her breath as she motioned to be seated beside her boyfriend. Though she was truly grateful for the interruption, there was no way she would ever admit that to him. She, however, was certain that the cat really had no idea as to what had been going on. He had probably wanted to make her life miserable again by ruining a supposed ideal moment.

"Gosh, Masaya, I'm really sorry. Are you okay?" She looked at him with worried eyes as she held an arm around him supportively. Alto watched them silently.

Glare. Glare.

"I'm alright, Ichigo. But that was some kiss wasn't it?" He muttered through his hands as Alto subtly let out a low growl. She rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. Really, she hadn't even done anything at all. Was he complimenting himself?

"Sure was Masaya. But I hope you're alright." Despite it all, she _was _concerned for him. He was after all, her absolutely perfect – well, almost perfect, aside from the crappy singing and crappy kisses – boyfriend. Although honestly, it hadn't really been all _that _bad, the kiss that was. It was just, not great and not all that memorable, other than the fact that it was a little slimey with a taste of...eww...was that onion? But that was beside the point. She couldn't figure out exactly what it was, but the kiss had been missing _something_. And if it were not for the something, she would not even have minded the onion breath. Well, maybe not.

Okay, so no matter how she looked at it, it _was _pretty bad. But that didn't say anything about her love for him at all! She didn't have to love (or like as was this case) kissing the guy she loved, did she? Of course not, because she loved kissing Ryou, but didn't actually love the guy. Wait, did she just think she _loved kissing Ryou_?! God no. She couldn't have thought that. She despised the guy, how could she _love _--_shudder shudder_-- kissing him? No no no. She didn't love kissing him, much less even _like_ it. Although, even if she did, it didn't say anything about how much she loved the person because she clearly did not even remotely like Ryo-SHIROGANE.

Because she knew that she loved Masaya, no matter the number of crappy kisses she would get from him, she loved _him_. She lifted her free hand to Masaya's face, pushing away his two hands that were covering it. He slowly opened his eyes and the first thing he saw...

"AHH It's that cat!" He screamed. Totally uncool. Masaya really wasn't ... the Masaya she knew. It really didn't help to have him scream right after she had made a whole argument for him in her head.

"Get it away from me. It has something against me!" Ichigo looked at her boyfriend incredulously. Was this guy the same guy who was the all time kendo champion?

"Don't be silly. Alto has no reason to hate you." Though she had no idea how very wrong she was. "And look, there's really nothing to be afraid of." She reached out a hand to pet the cat behind the ears. This was absolutely silly. Since when was Masaya afraid of cats? Wasn't she one after all? Well, maybe it was understandable to be afraid of _this_ cat considering it might actually be the physical embodiment of the devil.

Purr. Alto looked quite content.

There was really nothing to be scared of she reconsidered. Ichigo chided herself lightly for previously calling the adorable kitten the devil. She really couldn't accuse Ryou of being remotely violent, angry or otherwise ill-disposed seeing how the cat was now so unusually peaceful.

"Um, O-okay" Masaya reached out his arm to imitate Ichigo, and just as he was about to touch him...

"Hssssssssssss."

"What's up with you Alto?" she asked the cat. _Bipolar jerk._ Just as she had begun to think that his kitty form was actually kind of cute. She took Masaya's hand in the hand that had been previously petting the lavender cat, and brought it away from the hissing monster. The kitten watched as Ichigo pulled away from petting him and held Masaya with the same hand.

GLARE. (Feline Instincts Skill Level 100: Ultimate Glare of Death.)

"Um Ichigo, I've got to go." Masaya said suddenly, proceeding to almost crash into the lamp on his way out. "Anyway, I just came to say that you should forget about the idol stuff. It's better off if you don't hang around that Shirogan-san anyway."

"Meow. (Wimp.)" Alto's blue-eyes never left Masaya as he continued to glare at him until he scampered out of the house.

"Alto! Don't you dare call him a wimp." The redhead cried indignantly, even if he did make a good point.

"Meowmeowmeow (It's not like you aren't thinking it.)"

"Oh hush you little monster from hell."

"ALTO!" Ichigo's dad who had been hiding by the doorway now beamed at the kitten, whom he immediately lifted from the ground and proceeded to spin around the room. "Let's KEEP him! I can at least trust him to watch over my sweet innocent daughter." His eyes twinkled as he spoke.

"Dad, let me hold him." Alto was now struggling within her father's arms. His time limit was most likely almost up. "Yes yes yes. Let him grow on you. You already have permission from your parents to keep him." He readily handed her the lavender cat.

"I'll think about it." She lied. "But we have to keep him in my room." Which happened to be where she was bringing him at the moment. It might have been a better idea to let him out now and it wasn't as though she wanted Ryou to stay there any longer, but she still had some unfinished business to take care of. After all, all of the mishaps that had occurred tonight was due to her single utmost desire to become a star. It wasn't going to be forgotten so easily and no amount of concern from Masaya was going to stop her from becoming an idol.

Masaya's shocking suspicions were a bit concerning (concerning in that he would even think such a thing), but it wasn't enough to completely distract her from the task at hand. She only played with the idea for a brief moment...Ryou like her? That was the most unpleasant news she could possibly receive! And though she truly thought that, she had not noticed her lips unwittingly curve up into the slightest smile. There was however, no need to take heed of such absurd words. In any case, she knew exactly where she stood in Ryou Shirogane's life, and that was in Cafe Mew Mew as the overworked, underpaid employee that he loved to tease. "You can't like me right Alto? Besides, I know I'm just an annoyingly loud idiot to you..." She said somewhat dejectedly as she carried the small kitten up the stairs.

Oh, how very wrong she was.

* * *

oOo! Is Ichigo finally showing some interest in Ryou? She won't admit it yet, but why is she thinking about who she is to him? What's happening with Masaya? Is she finally discovering his un-perfections? What will happen to her stardum dum?


	13. Welcome to Hell, Slave

Since you guys were sooo awesome and gave me the three reviews almost immediately, here is the next update! Well, this was a fun chapter to write. **Read and review please**! Recently, I've noticed that the rate of visitors have decreased lately, and I was a little booo about it, but then I got those wonderful reviews. Woot woot! It makes me feel like it's totally worth it!

Enjoy the read! And a special thanks to my regular reviewers! Thanks for the constant support. You guys rock!

* * *

**Chapter 13****: Welcome to Hell, Slave**

"Oh?" He mused, wearing his typical smirk. "You have a favor to ask?" He stood before the red-haired Ichigo as she nervously paced around her bedroom. "Wanted to try making out somewhere else besides on the bathroom floor? Your bedroom floor does look somewhat more comfortable."

Completely forgetting her anxiety as anger took over, she spoke. "Look" she began aggressively, digging her finger into his chest repeatedly as she made her accusations. "You" --poke poke--"just swiped my boyfriend's face up AND" --poke poke-- "made me look like a complete animal beater in front of my mom. I've been patient enough tonight. The least YOU" --poke poke-- "can do is LISTEN TO ME SERIOUSLY." Just as she finished speaking though, she drew back from him restraining her excessively active finger. She slowly walked towards her bed, which was some distance away from the blond and dropped her head after plopping onto the matress, refusing to look at him.

Ryou watched Ichigo as she chided herself. "Oh my holy mew Aqua!" she exclaimed in another one of her self discussions. "Of all times. Right before I even got to ask. Control your stupid finger Ichigo! Even if it's twitching to have a go at that arrogantly puffed up chest!" He didn't understand her sudden change in behaviour as he rarely did, nor was he trying to understand as he was already very much distracted by what she had said earlier when she harshly, and persistently jabbed his currently sore chest.

"Shouldn't you try to be a little more quiet? Talking to yourself is bad enough without being heard."

Turning a slight shade of pink, Ichigo shot up from her slumped position at the edge of the bed. "Wh-Why should I have to be quiet for you?"

"Shh. Parents." He said, bringing his index finger up against his lips.

She immediately covered her mouth in both hands, as her eyes widened at his words. She was probably wondering how much of the entire conversation her parents heard, he noted quite amused. Silly baka, she really had forgotten.

Her expression gradually changed in delayed realization as she slowly pulled away her hands from her mouth. "Wait a sec-" And for the very brief moment in that realization, her expression had dropped. It was disappointing to see it go so soon. Enter Furious Maniac Ichigo.

"WILL YOU STOP TRYING TO CHANGE THE TOPIC ALREADY?" She screamed. Silly baka. He wondered if she had she finally remembered that her father had decided to chase after and clobber that annoying Aoyama. It wasn't at all surprising as that agitating guy only had it coming for some time now. From the overprotective father of course, and not the accepting mother who had chased after Ichigo's dad to stop him.

"When will you actually start listening _seriously_?" She let out a sigh in exasperation, as she continued speaking.

"Ichigo," he began to say, noting her sudden surprise when he spoke. It certainly wasn't the first time he called her that, but it might've been the first time she noticed. Stupid baka. Why had she never noticed before? "You are truly an idiot. I _have_ been listening to you seriously - all night." He saw her confused expression as she looked up and was surprised that she took no violent actions against him for calling her an idiot yet again. Curiosity probably got the best of her, just as it had with him earlier that night.

"What do you mean?" she cocked her head to one side, sincerely trying to understand. Of course, she couldn't have known that he had been spying as Alto, arriving just in time to hear how he was her most reviled boss in all the world and the very last person she would come to like. And then of course, catching that oh-so-heartwarming scene of her kissing Aoyama with ears and tail fully activated. And why wouldn't those features appear? She was clearly enjoying herself. That is, right before he snapped and interrupted that revolting scene.

But of course he wasn't going to let her know any of this, seeing as how she plainly flat out declared the impossibility of caring for him - twice. Twice, he had been rejected and she hadn't even noticed. The first time was when he bravely and somewhat foolishly sang her a love song. He had almost forgotten about that too, just almost being able to revert back to his old ways of teasing her, but then tonight had to happen.

"Ryou." Her soft voice broke him from his thoughts. Ugh. Now he regretted more than ever for telling her to call him that. It was just so painful hearing it uttered so sweetly from her lips, as if they were or even could become close. Now more than ever, he realized that gap he had unintentionally created with her by falling into their typical roles of screaming at each other. That gap was never to close.

"Don't - don't call me Ryou." He turned away from her, all previous signs of light teasing and mirth gone.

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when she found nothing to say. Whatever reaction it was, he didn't look because he refused to turn around, refusing to let her see his expression now. After all, he was undoing what had taken him a year to finally have the courage to do.

"Ryou," he heard again except this time, her voice was trembling.

**SMACK!** The impact of the pink pillow caught his attention, causing him to spin around to look at the offender.

"You are such an IDIOT RY-OU!" She clearly enunciated the two syllables despite her trembling voice. She grabbed another fluffy pink pillow for her next attack.

He stared at her in a daze as she stood atop her bed, ready to swing the next pillow into his face. "What-" He stopped speaking just in time to dodge the pillow. "the hell is up with you?" Whatever this reaction was, he hadn't expected it at all.

She suddenly dropped to her knees, still on the bed, causing the springs in the matress to push her with an equal force back up. Caught off guard by the unexpected motion, the redhead lost her balance despite all her wildcat dexterity, heading diagonally toward the glass window which was beside the bed.

"Ichigo!" He screamed despite himself.

But the girl was quick to act, bringing the pillow that was still in hand protectively in front of her, cushioning the impact between her head and the glass pane which in the next moment began to crack. Bouncing away from the collision with the window, she fell back onto her bedroom floor with a thud.

The blond ran over to her feeling relieved and a little foolish. He hadn't actually thought that she'd break through the window right? Sure he always complained she was heavier than she looked but that amount of force wasn't anywhere near causing the glass pane to completely shatter. What had happened to his sense of reasoning?

"Ryou" She was rubbing her sore butt with her hand, wincing at the pain.

"I told you to stop calling me that." He said coldly despite the fact that he offered his hand to the fallen redhead.

"But you just called me Ichigo." She looked up at him as she hesitantly took his hand, eyes shimmering with tears. Probably from the fall. She really was a crybaby. It was cute.

Pulling her up, he found that she stood only inches away from himself. It was just... too close for his comfort. He began backing away, if not for the hand that was still linked with his own, tugging him back towards her.

Using the back of her free hand to wipe her eyes, Ichigo continued to clasp Ryou's hand tightly as he stood ill at ease. He could smell her strawberry hair from where he stood. "Ryou" she said half whimpering "That's what you told me to call you, so I'll keep saying it." Was she in pain or...upset? But upset at what? Not being able to call him Ryou? Impossible. That must've been a hard fall.

"Stop being a bipolar jerk." Her voice was trembling. "You're always like this! First being all mean and annoying...and then all serious...and finally seeming almost _worried_. Will you stop doing this to me already?" She looked up into his eyes, displaying the vulnerability of her own. They were as unsteady as her voice.

"Are you angry?" He had to make sure the quiver of her voice was anger, _just _anger, even if he had hoped otherwise.

"Of course I'm angry." She screamed. "You can't even decide what I should call you. Just stick with a decision and see it through. I don't care what you say. I'm calling you Ryou and there's nothing you can do about it." He felt the grip on his hand tighten. Really, what was going on? Because at this moment, he wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Was she messing with him again?

"Ichigo" he whispered helplessly, not even noticing the appearance of her cat ears and tail upon saying her name. Whatever she was playing at, he had the very sudden urge to kiss her. Damn it all.

He lifted her chin with his free hand and swept in. Even though he had simply placed his lips upon her sweet strawberry ones, it felt so ... right. He would have been content to stay in just that way for a little longer. It was probably only a few miliseconds before she would pull away. But he was pleasantly surprised.

He stood in complete shock as he felt Ichigo's mouth slowly opening for a deeper kiss, hungry for more. Wait, that couldn't be right. But why did it _feel_ so right? A little lost, but very much exhilarated, _he _let_ her_ kiss him.

She pulled away suddenly, hand covering her mouth as she stared wide eyed at the still dazed Ryou. "Gosh, I'm -uh sorry about that. I have no idea what came over me."

Completely stupified, the blond stood motionless, lips still half parted from the incredible kiss.

"Ryou?" she whispered carefully as she waved her hand over his eyes.

He closed his mouth. "What was that favor you wanted?" She didn't just kiss him back did she? He probably imagined it, just like he had last time. This was bad. If his feelings for Ichigo made him so desperate to believe she had kissed him back, then it really reached a new level of pathetic Ryou. But...she was apologizing for it right, meaning she had just admitted that she did it?

Was he really willing to risk having his heart completely shattered a third time based on impossibilities? No. The only way to pull himself out of this pathetic state was to go back to acting like a jerk.

"-offered to make me an idol. Only if you're my partner." Deep in thought, he had only caught the last few words she had said. She had made her way back to her bed, a fair distance from Ryou and lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, intentionally avoiding eye contact.

"Excuse Me?" His casual position against the wall masked his inner frustration.

"Come on, you heard me." the redhead pouted, back to her old self. Well sure it was annoying, but at least he managed to distract her from a potentially awkward situation - such as Ryou once again being unable to fight off another urge to kiss the baka.

"Let's be idols together. I know you're not liking this any more than me, but really, what's the harm in just going along with me? It won't kill you."

"I think there's something you fail to understand baka. We don't help each other, we make each other's lives miserable" _Boy hadn't she already managed that. _"And though I can't say I don't need you -- a fact which very much pains me to admit, I must say that I only need you to play that odd role of the idiot who gets teased. Because that is the sole purpose of your existence to me - so that I can have the pleasure of making you miserable." He had spewed the words, not entirely sure what he was getting at. She really had a way with messing with his mind and he was hoping to forget all romantic thoughts of the redhead.

She seemed a little taken back, stiffling a small gasp as her eyes glazed over with a hint of ...was she possibly hurt? But in the very next moment, before Ryou could be certain of anything, she recovered with renewed rage. "You're doing it again you ass." She said as she got up to throw a pillow in his direction.

That makes...four pillows on the floor, Ryou thought incredulously as he looked at the remaining two on Ichigo's bed. He bent down to pick up a pillow.

"But," she expression brightened up as she worked something out in her head. Really, she was the one to call _him _bipolar? He began to question the exact duration of her attention span. "I guess what you meant is that I play a very essential role in your life." Not exactly what he wanted her to hear, but what he had let slip. That wasn't good.

He threw the pillow at the girl, hoping to once again distract her. SMACK!

"Not exactly. If my life was a Shakespearian play, you would be the comic relief." He said as he smiled smugly.

"So I can't be replaced." She said smiling despite getting knocked over by the pillow. Whether she was smiling at her first victory against Ryou, or at the fact that she couldn't be replaced, he didn't know.

He shrugged. He was not one to argue in matters he could not win. "Why don't you find someone else to play your stage partner? Like Aoyama." He had unwittingly spat his name with disdain, but Ichigo took no notice.

She gave a slight visible shudder, which Ryou in no way missed. Though he rarely missed any observations on Ichigo even if he pretended not to care. "Look I may love him and everything, but he still can't sing a note."

"Oh?" Was he hearing correctly? "So you're saying you need me?" It brought a smile to his lips, but he fought it off, resulting in a strained half smirk.

She shifted around uncomfortably on her bed, reaching for the pillow that had just been thrown and proceeded to chuck it across the room. Not bothering to answer his question, she spoke. "Look I'll even let you boss me around."

"You say that as if you had a choice in the matter." Unfortunately for Ichigo, he had managed to easily dodge the attack.

"Come on! I'll even treat you to ice cream, or candy, or - "

"God, I'm not Pudding you know... or three." He scoffed, completely disregarding her bribes. Couldn't she be at least a little more original?

"Anything. Just name it." Oh, that sounded interesting. But...

"Stop calling me Ryou." As fun as her offer had seemed, he could not get any more involved. Becoming an idol with her, other than the fact that he despised public attention, would be emotional suicide. Sure he'd get to tease her as much as he wanted, but would he be able to handle having his heart torn out and stomped on each day? Although honestly, it wasn't so different from now.

"Why does it bother you so much?" She swung her legs back and forth from the edge of her bed.

"Why do you want to call me Ryou so badly?" That caught her attention.

"I-I don't know. To tease you I guess." Well, that made a lot more sense. Considering she rarely had anything to rile him up with. "But anyway, you know I can't do that so find something else."

"No deal. Let me remind you, you're the one asking _me_ for the favor." He said flatly as he collected the deserted pillows on the floor and walked over to the bed. He settled upon the bed a few feet from the girl.

"Goodness _Ryou_." Well, wasn't it considerate of her to stress his name. He folded his arms behind his head as he lay across the bed with his legs dangling over the side, pretending not to care. She took no notice of his supposed lack of concern and spoke. "Seeing how I am an indispensible part of your life, the comic relief to the over exaggerated Shakesperian play of your life, I'd say you'd have to reconsider."

Was she...imitating him? He raised an eyebrow at her, a little impressed though he silently fought off the desire to laugh.

She stared at him, utterly unamused as she jolted up from her seated position and stood right in front of Ryou, hands on her hips. "Laugh all you want but I'm serious. If you don't become an idol with me, you won't be seeing me at work. You won't be seeing me at all."

"Wait, what?" He suddenly lost all thoughts of laughter and quickly sat up.

"Oh, so you _are _concerned_?_" She bent a little over to get a better look at her blue-eyed boss who now stared straight at her, completely shocked.

"What, no!" He turned away, foolishly allowing Ichigo to see the red tint in his ears. Before she could get a good look however, her vision was blocked by the pillow that was flying towards her face.

A little angry, she grabbed the pink fluff and settled beside Ryou on the bed, proceeding to attack the blond with it repeatedly. "I'll be gone either way." Smack smack smack. "So you can either come along for the ride, or I can leave you in the dust." THUD. She had finally released the soft object, sending it flying into his face, knocking him over. She was taking a mighty gamble. Was she really that confident that he needed her that badly? Had he accidentally revealed more than he meant to?

"Pft...why the hell would I follow you?" He scoffed as if it was totally absurd, yet he only just managed to prevent his stomach from lurching, although that might have been induced by the beating he had just received.

"But I mean, if that's okay with you...Sure you'll never have to deal with my complaints but you wouldn't be able to tease me either. Are you sure you can live without making me miserable?" she challenged as she plopped comfortably onto her bed, satisfied now that her deed was done.

He sighed in defeat. Of course he couldn't live without her, but not quite in the way that Ichigo imagined. He was stuck in the very fine balance; living with her only being able to tease her, or live without her - without the emotional pain that came with pretending- but without any interactions with her. Sure he sometimes hated himself for having to live through the day pretending to be her worst enemy, but it really was better than being nothing to her at all. In annoyance, he swiped a free pillow against her arm as he remained lying on the bed, knocking her down beside him.

She interrupted his thoughts with the sound of her heavy exhale after either deep consideration, or extreme exhaustion. "And I'll even throw in the I'll-do-anything-you-want card." Little did she know that she had already won.

He watched as she rolled over on her side, glaring at him. Really, if she had hated him that much, why did she bother with this whole idol business? He braced himself for another attack which came only moments later as she took the last pillow near Ryou which lay between them and stood up on top of her bed. She positioned it carefully against her arm and proceeded to ...

THUD! She had elbowed him in the stomach, dropping from her position above the bed in her insane imitation of a wrestling move. But somehow, it didn't go as planned. Upon receiving the harsh, though cushioned blow to the stomach, Ryou immediately locked her in place as he hooked his arms together. And being the very bouncy bed that it was, the force of Ichigo's fall caused the springs to bounce up and unexpectedly shove them off of the bed onto the hard cold ground. To make matters worse, it didn't end there as the bed had pushed them off at an angle, causing them to roll across Ichigo's bedroom floor.

Ryou held Ichigo protectively, shielding the back of her head as he cursed silently to himself over the stupidity of her actions. But that didn't last very long because at the next moment, he had found himself in another very awkward position with the redhead.

Groaning, he opened his eyes and found that he was pinned to the ground by the catgirl.

"Ouchies." She said as she rubbed her head. His arms were still wrapped around her waist, but she had said nothing about it.

"Prove it." He whispered into her ears, as she had somehow settled her face in the crevice of his neck. "You said you'd do anything?"

He paused for a moment before speaking again. "So kiss me."

He saw her eyes grow wide after she immediately propped herself up from the ground using her arms. He knew he was being a little unfair, asking something so ridiculous from her, especially something that she must have found absolutely revolting.

"Wh-What?!" she stuttered, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Oh forget it." Ryou dropped his arms from her. "You can get up now. You don't have to do it. I was just teasing." He said blandly as he rested his arms beside him on the floor. What was he doing anyhow? That was like openly asking her to cheat on her boyfriend, whom she was totally in love with. And honestly, what difference did it make if she kissed him? If he wanted one so badly, he could always kiss her out of no where as he often did.

But even if it was meaningless, or somewhat forced, even if he knew it wasn't the right way to go about it, he just wanted her to start kissing him, at least once. At this moment, it was his one utmost desire in the world, to have the girl that he loved to _want _to kiss him. And because he knew it was impossible, he would settle for her to start the kiss even if she may not have wanted it. Truly pathetic.

Her gaze was piercing as she looked at him. He looked away from those searching eyes, unable to restrain himself if he was to look through the depths of those sweet chocolate-brown orbs. "Get off of me before I do something." He said coldly. "Seriously, before I can't control myself."

"Hmm?" She was still trying to get him to meet her eyes. She sat up, still pinning him to the ground.

"Get off."

"No." Was she intentionally messing with him again? What was with the whole "I'll do anything you want"? She hadn't done a single thing he wanted yet. The kiss, okay that was understandable, but she could at least move her heavy little behind off of his stomach.

"You're not setting a very good example of doing anything I'd want." He challenged. "At this rate --"

He never finished the thought since in that very moment, Ichigo leaned down and met his lips with her own. He had lost himself to the sweetness of her gentle, yet simple kiss. The contact of her lips was enough to make him tingle with excitement. She drew away, slighty rosy from her actions, leaving a very dazed Ryou who took a few minutes to recover. Her bells jingled with the movement of her black tail. He wondered how he missed the appearance of her cat features.

Finally breaking the silence, he spoke as if not at all affected. It was just another trick, to tease her of course. There was no way he was going to let her know that he had actually wanted it. "Deal." He said coolly, raising one hand to meet Ichigo's in a handshake of mutual agreement as she still sat above him. Before letting go of her hand, however, he pulled her down and whispered in her ear. "Welcome to hell, slave."

He waited for the typical screaming Ichigo to emerge, to have some sign of the normalcy that was his relationship with the strawberry, but little did he realize that everything was different now. All because of that light tap on the lips.

He looked up at her as she once again propped herself up with her arms, legs still sprawled on the floor. Strands of red hair swung freely from her face as she was facing down to take a good look at him. He couldn't tell exactly what she was thinking as he kept the arrogant smirk on his face. But before he could even catch on to what was happening, he felt her lips against his own once again. Her hair tickled his cheeks as she slowly opened her mouth to deepen the kiss to his utter shock. Her tongue slipped in his unresisting mouth, searching, prying until it was received by his own. She brought one hand against his ear and proceeded to rub it lightly, sending shivers down his spine. Then, hand still at his ear, she pulled away, breaking the intense kiss, leaving him absolutely breathless and entirely...exhilarated. His heart lept at the complacency...no the desire...of her actions. It almost felt like it would burst with excitement. Twice she had kissed him back, and twice, she had began the kiss. He fought off the stupid expression that was beginning to creep up on his face.

"Yes master." She replied slyly upon drawing away. Her reply almost made him jump as the unexpected words suddenly caught his attention. No screams. No wailing. She simply drew away with a slight...smirk?

Wait. When had the tables turn? Since when was _she_ the one to tease him like this? And though he was just a little disturbed by this sudden observation, he was more so anxious by the sudden twist, because she couldn't possibly have done that just because she wanted to...could she have?

She was planning something. That must be it. It was time to be careful.

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Oooo...finally some action! haha. Anyway, I don't know if any of you noticed, but they ended up making out somewhere beside the bathroom floor, like what Ryou had asked at the beginning. I love them complete circles.

Okay, so maybee Ichigo's a bit out of character here, but I promise I'll make her just like herself again.

Are the chapters moving too slowly? Because I just noticed how the entire time spent at her house is like 4 super long chapters... That should change soon though. I think I'll speed things up after this and slow down in specific moments.


	14. Getting to Know You

This ended up being one of my longest chapters. I was originally planning to split it into 2 parts. Oh well.

Sorry to all you IxR fans for keeping Ichigo and Masaya together for this long! I mean, even I'm starting to get annoyed with it. But in all honesty, I really don't think Masaya is a bad guy so I'm not gonna have him randomly dump Ichigo...

I'll try to have more Ichigo and Ryou moments. I love them two together ;)

Anywho, enjoy the read! Show me some love nya! **Read and review! **

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**Chapter 14****: Self Doubts**

Fresh streams of morning sunshine crept through the window and fell on the eyelids of Ichigo's sleeping face. She stirred at the brightness of the warm rays of light. That voice was all she could hear: "Welcome to Hell, Slave."

She jerked up, eyes just barely open as she rubbed them in distress. Thank God! It had only been a nightmare. Like she would kiss that jerk all on her own. Damn Masaya for saying such strange things – that was probably why she had that dream at all.

She pulled the covers away only to find that it was stuck on something strange. She felt something warm against her leg.

"OH SHI – " She immediately covered her mouth to keep herself from catching her parents' attention. Ryou lay curled up by her feet, still asleep. His blond hair seemed to glow a rich golden color. It looked so soft, almost like fur. In fact, he almost looked like a giant cat. He seemed almost gentle like this – when he didn't let his foul mouth ruin it.

"Dreaming of me?" He whispered softly with his eyes still closed while Ichigo had cautiously inched towards him to get a closer look.

"I wish." She spat as she quickly drew away. If only it had been just a dream...but his presence only confirmed last night's very embarrassing situation. Wait. That didn't come out right, she realized upon hearing it said out loud and seeing the blond's smirking face as he got up to stretch.

Oh whatever. It wasn't like it could get any worse than yesterday. She began to wonder whether Ryou had secretly drugged her without her noticing last night. That would certainly explain her strange behaviour.

"Ichigo! Breakfast. Bring the cat down too!" Her mom was in the kitchen.

"Well Ichigo, that's us." He said as he finally dropped his arms that were raised above his head before. It felt oddly...nice hearing her name from him. But she shook her head before she let that thought linger.

"Ichigo," he suddenly said softly as he walked towards her. What was he trying to do?

He got closer and closer, until he was only inches away from her. His face was emotionless as always, but then it brightened up (well as much as Ryou Shirogane would allow) in realization. "You look..uh" Were his ears getting pink? "...almost nice today."

Thud. _Almost_ nice? Was that supposed to be a compliment? Well, it wasn't like she cared.

"I mean, you _do_ look nice today." He looked away. "You should leave your hair down more often. It makes you look like less of a baka." He turned away from her, facing the door.

Less of a baka? Was that supposed to be a compliment too? But despite the confusing language that was Ryou's way of speaking, a small smile crept up on Ichigo's face.

"Now get out," she said, shoving the transformed Ryou out of the room. She hurriedly changed and quickly made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she was done, she carried Alto downstairs with her.

"Gotta go Mom!" She screamed as she was already half way out the door.

"But breakfast!"

"I...uh...gotta walk the cat!" she cried before slamming the door behind her. Leaving her very confused mother behind. "Cats...can be walked?"

"What'd you drug me with yesterday?" she demanded to know as soon as she was a block away from home. She held Alto by the neck and brought him eye-level to her.

"Oh?" Alto had transformed back to Ryou as she still held his neck. She took a step back and felt her cheeks grow warm. Damn him.

"With my incredible charm of course." That stupid smirk again.

Locks of strawberry hair bounced as she suddenly jumped up. "Just great..." she mumbled searching through her pockets for her vibrating phone that had startled her. She flipped her bright pink phone open as soon as she managed to take it out.

"Hi Masaya." Caller ID.

"Ichigo, let's go on a date today." She heard the voice speak.

"Sure I'd love that!" she exclaimed as soon as she heard him. Then, remembering yesterday's kiss with Masaya, she covered the phone and gave a little groan. How could she have forgotten that experience? She was just so focused on that annoyingly enjoyable kiss with Ryou that she had completely forgotten about Mr. Onion-breath-dog tongue-kisser-boyfriend. Shuddering, she released her hand from the phone. "No work today, so how about we meet at the bench in the park in half an hour?" Goodness, why did she still set up the date?

"Sure thing, my koneko-chan." **That** was why; she purred at those words after hanging up. In all honesty, she still loved him and still loved being _his_ koneko.

"Date with the wuss?" Ryou asked dryly as he looked away, clearly not very interested. She wondered why he even bothered asking.

"What's it to you?" she asked aggressively, thoughts of yesterday coming back. Why wouldn't she be angry at him, when he was the reason she felt a sudden pang of guilt. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have betrayed Masaya. If it wasn't for him, there was no way she would have initiated a kiss with anyone other than Masaya. If it wasn't for..._him_?

Hold on. Would this have happened if Ryou had been anyone else? She shook her head in denial at a very fearsome possibility. Why would she _ever_ feel compelled to kiss a jerk? She turned to look at him, wondering exactly why she would ever do something that would hurt her wonderful boyfriend for _this_ jerk.

He brushed his golden hair away from his cerulean eyes, unaware of the sudden attention he received from Ichigo. Oh God. It was specifically because of _this_ jerk, this incredibly attractive and irresistibly amazing kisser – jerk. Damn him to hell for being a good kisser, though considering she was here with him, they were probably already there.

Still, it wasn't as if she was in love with the guy right? It was purely attraction, which was slightly more acceptable to the redhead. After all, an attraction can't be helped since he was, in all honesty, just flat out hot. But loving him? That would be inexcusable for her. It would really say something about what kind of person she was if she were to EVER fall in love with a jerk like him.

But just being extremely attracted to someone didn't justify cheating on her perfect boyfriend at all. He at least deserved to be cheated on with a guy she was absolutely in love with if he was to be cheated on. She was beginning to hope, for the sake of Masaya, though very much to her own disgust, that she _was_ in love with Ryou. (Oh, the irony that is Ichigo's twisted logic.)

Although...why was she considering any of this at all? She hadn't cheated; she had only kissed the creep to get him to agree on their partnered idolhood. That was all, she firmly asserted. However, it only took her a few more seconds to realize the follow-up kiss she had given him afterwards. Ugh. Why would she even do that? It wasn't like kissing was remotely enjoyable, she thought as she recalled the 'ideal' kiss with her ideal boyfriend, whom happened to jump in place at the sight of a kitten barely bigger than his two hands immediately afterwards.

**BAM! **Oh god. When did that tree get there?

"Ichigo, Ichigo. Earth to baka strawberry." Ryou continued to call to her even after she had taken the fall.

"WHAT?" she screamed, extremely agitated. "You could have at least warned me, you jerk."

He flicked her forehead before helping her up. "I did. I've been calling you nonstop for the last five minutes. You owe me a throat drop for my sore throat you baka."

She felt her cheeks burning once again. Why did this always have to happen when he was around? Totally embarrassing.

But at least he had seen her do all kinds of clumsy things already, so it wasn't as big a deal. Though that fact in itself was annoying. Still, she much preferred crashing into a tree in front of Ryou than in front of Masaya. Goodness, she wouldn't even be able to speak after that level of embarrassment with Masaya.

"Geez, do you really enjoy talking to that voice in your head over me?" Ryou finally managed to get her attention. "Like I was saying, what was that whole 'no work for today' thing?"

She stared at him blankly. "You're kidding right? Today's a friggin' national holiday you jerk. Everything's closed. You can't be serious about opening the cafe right? Stupid slavedriver from hell..." she mumbled to herself.

His common emotionless expression was replaced by his next most common expression – that damned smirk again. "Who said anything about the cafe? From what I recall, you're my personal slave now. That's a 24/7 year round job."

She stopped walking. "Are – you – serious?!" Screeching in absolute disbelief.

"Of course, my dear slave." He turned around to face her as he continued to walk backwards towards the park. "Unless of course, you want me to tell your boyfriend of our little rendezvous."

"No no no!" She ran after him. "But but. I have a _date _today." She said as she grabbed onto his shirt and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"So cancel it." He shrugged off her hands, turning back to face the path ahead of him.

"And tell him what? That I have to babysit my boss for the rest of my life?"

"No. I believe it's something along the lines of 'you must serve your master' for the rest of your life." Smirk smirk. Where's that bar of soap when you need it?

"I can't do that you inconsiderate jerk. I have a life _too_."

"And to think you were so complacent to serve your master." Ultimate signature smirk. Goodness, why didn't she just bring a darn bar of soap with her from home?

GOD. That was an experience she didn't need to be reminded of. It was just too embarrassing how _she_ had approached Ryou...like an animal in heat. Eww. She remembered how she refused to get off of him, no matter what he said. Now that she thought about it, it sounded a little desperate of her too. But hadn't he said something about not being able to control himself? The idea brought a slight smile to her lips.

Well it wasn't like she liked him, she thought as she began to consider denying her thoughts once again. She just maybe liked the fact that he might like her. Those were two entirely separate things.

"Ichigo?" He was inches from her face.

POP! Out came her ears and tail. He just _had_ to appear that close to her right after what she was thinking...

"You really do like talking to yourself more than to me, huh?" He said as if he hadn't noticed the sudden appearance of her cat features, but he chuckled lightly. She looked at him incredulously and smiled despite her embarrassment. After all, it was the first time she heard him chuckle so freely. It wasn't masked under any of his usual emotional shields.

"I- I'm sorry about yesterday." She suddenly blurted. "I me-mean, seeming so des-desperate and all." Oh god, she could feel her cheeks heating up again.

"Don't be." He looked at her curiously. "And I...I didn't think it was desperate. It was ho-" he suddenly paused in realization that he was speaking out loud, then quickly recovering, he continued to speak "-t yesterday, wasn't it?" He turned away a little awkwardly but a look of determination made its way to his face as he returned his gaze at her.

The blond proceeded to place a hand on her head before he...was he smiling? She thought she felt her heart skip a beat. It wasn't because she was in love with him or anything, she firmly asserted to herself. It was just that for the first time, she saw such a genuine smile from him. For some reason, she was a little glad that she had caused that smile. It was so warm and content. And...it wasn't like that mean slavedriver from hell at all. He was full of surprises.

"Nya?" The redhead felt a gentle hand stroke her cat ears.

"Is Ecchi Ichi thinking of perverted thoughts again?" He asked as soon as she started purring. The cat girl opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted before she could. "You can go on your little date with Aoyama." He sighed. "I'm not really the jerk you make me out to be you know." He was walking beside her, with one hand still stroking her cat ears. She really had to consider his words. A total jerk couldn't possibly be as gentle as he was now. A jerk wouldn't be able to make her feel so content and safe with just one touch or make her heart skip with a single smile, right?

Purr...well that might've just been her cat genes talking.

The blond suddenly froze in place staring straight ahead of him. The oblivious redhead had continued walking, working out her thoughts, but upon noticing that Ryou's warm hands were no longer by her cat ears, she turned around to face him a little dismayed. "Ryou?" He didn't respond, only continued to stare straight ahead of him.

"Ko-koneko –chan?!" She heard a familiar voice behind her. Oh...crap.

"Did you just say RYOU?!" She heard. She turned around slowly, afraid to see who she already knew was there.

Masaya's eyes were wide with shock and he was pointing accusingly at Ichigo, who now turned a little pink. "S-since when did you guys get so _friendly_?" he hissed.

"We're not." She finally found her voice. Running up to her boyfriend, she held his hands as she looked at him pleadingly.

"God Ichigo." He drew his hands away. "You said you hated the guy and now you're calling him by his first name?"

"Why are you mad?" She pouted. "You were there when it happened - when he told me to call him Ryou."

"And?" Masaya's eyes were cold, so cold. "It's because I was there that I know exactly what he was suggesting by having you call him _R-you._" He spat out the name like it was poison.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" asked the redhead, now nearly at tears. Since when was Masaya not the warm, caring Masaya she knew?

"Ichigo!" His hands tightened into fists. "You really are an idiot if you haven't noticed! God, it was right after he practically confessed to you." He was fuming with an unfamiliar violent rage.

Did...did her kind Masaya just...call her an idiot? The catgirl held up her hands against her wet cheeks, trying to brush away the strands of red hair pasted against her face. She knew it probably looked bad. It was her fault after all wasn't it? Yet even though she knew he had every right to be angry, she couldn't stop the heavy tears in her eyes from flowing.

"Aoyama." It was Ryou. Didn't that jerk know he would only make things worse? Why did he have to say anything at all?

Masaya turned his attention to Ryou, eyes full of...was that hate? She had never seen such a look in his eyes before.

Ryou, however, was not at all unnerved by the glare. "Don't you think you're being a bit harsh on Ichigo? All she did was call me Ryou after all." Oh God. That idiot! He just called her Ichigo in front of Masaya. Now...now it was all over! She dug her face deeper in her hands, now sobbing uncontrollably.

"Oh?" The dark haired figure raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the blond. "So you call her Ichigo now? You guys are on a first name basis?"

"Naturally. She's been my employee for over a year now." Ryou brushed his golden hair back with one hand, revealing his icy cold eyes. "And if you weren't so focused on just her, you'd notice that I call all the other Mews by their first names too."

Ichigo watched them through her tears. She could just make out the figure of Masaya, taking a slight step back. He loosened his fists. Maybe Ryou was actually going to help, she wondered in astonishment.

"Don't worry Ichigo." The blond had turned his attention to her, his once piercing eyes now softened. "It's only because he cares. So please, please. Just stop crying." He looked like he was almost in pain, but Ichigo wasn't sure as she couldn't clearly see through her tears whether his furrowed eyebrows displayed concern.

In the very next moment however, Masaya once again clasped his hands into fists tightly. Completely ignoring Ichigo as he was still raging against the annoyingly calm Ryou, he spoke. "That might be so, but what about the petname? I don't hear you giving any nicknames to anyone else." Ichigo thought about his words for a minute. Why hadn't she noticed before?

"Look, I'm not the one in question right now. What does that have to do with Ichigo's feelings for you?" Ryou replied cooly, without much thought. At his words, Masaya was renewed with rage. He walked up to the calm blond, glaring at him.

"But if you must know," Ryou continued, "sure I have nicknames for everyone. It's just that I respect everyone else enough not to use it. Like you, Mr. Perfect." Ichigo whimpered at the scene. Masaya seemed so unfamiliar, so distant and not anything like the person she thought she was in love with. Where was the warmth and concern? He hadn't even noticed her as he continued to scream at Ryou. And worst of all, he hadn't even tried to comfort her when she was crying. Even Ryou, her supposed jerk of a boss, was being kinder than him at the moment - something she would have never thought possible.

"Mr. Perfect?" Masaya's voice softened just a bit.

"Well, you are her absolutely ideal perfect boyfriend." Ryou's face revealed nothing though Ichigo thought she sensed just a bit of sarcasm in his voice. Normally she'd hate that sarcastic tone, but for some reason, she didn't mind it now. Besides, the sarcasm may have been appropriate, as Ichigo was beginning to see the perfect features of her caring boyfriend slowly falling away as his image of perfection was starting to shatter. Sure, he may not have ever claimed to be perfect, but it was this image she fell in love with, even if it was a bit unfair for someone to maintain such high expectations. And though she was able to accept many of the faults she was slowly discovering, she didn't really know how to deal with this...disdainful, jealous and overreactive Masaya.

Masaya backed away just a little more. Flattery seemed to work. He really was unlike the humble person she had thought him to be.

"And if you're her ideal boyfriend, there's no question of her love for you." Ryou's eyebrow twitched as he spoke. He seemed somewhat agitated.

"What about the ears and tail I saw before?" Masaya said, sounding somewhat hesitant now. "She- she only gets those when she's excited." He continued, anger just beginning to return.

"Good God Mr. Perfect. Even dogs can transform her into a cat, what makes you think there's anything special about the ears and tail? If a dog can get her excited...well then pretty much anything can." Masaya looked a little taken back. After all, those were features he had thought was reserved specifically for himself. His sweet little nervous Ichigo, getting excited by dogs too? What happened to being just _his_ koneko?

Ichigo remained silent, now curled up in a ball on the street as she tried to wipe away her ceaseless tears. Why did they have to accidentally meet up with Masaya on their way to the park? But it wasn't the situation alone that she was crying about. She was also crying over the fact that Masaya was not anything like what she thought he was. He was cold, distant and mean, and he didn't seem at all concerned about her.

"Well whatever. You should probably be paying attention to your girlfriend now. Talk it out or something. I'm not here to speak for her. Go enjoy your date guys." Ryou spat the words, proceeding to walk off as he shoved his hands forcefully into his pockets. In the next moment however, he turned around, attention turned to Ichigo and spoke before walking awawy. "Yo Strawberry. Get the hell off the floor and stop crying you baka."

God, couldn't he at least be a little gentler about it? But the crying girl soon stopped her tears, surprised by the suddenness of the blond's voice. She rose from the ground to face her boyfriend. "I'm sorry Masaya." She stared down at her hands, uncertain of what she should say.

"Yeah." He said blandly as he proceeded to walk ahead of her. "Come on. Let's go on our date."

The walk to the park was awkward. Finally working up the courage, Ichigo grabbed Masaya's hand as he walked ahead of her and to her relief, he didn't push it away. When they finally reached their bench, they both sat down. For some strange reason, Ichigo wasn't her normal giddy and nervous self. But why was it that Masaya no longer made her heart skip as he had before?

"Ichigo, I'm sorry." She looked up at him, surprised. He leaned his elbows against his knees, clasping his hands together. He wasn't looking at her.

"Masaya." Was the understanding Masaya she knew back? She brought her hands over his, "It's okay."

He smiled at her, that warm caring smile that she was so familiar with. The smile that normally would have made her ears appear right at this moment but didn't.

Having made up, the two spent the next hour or so walking around the park, hand in hand. She really did feel at ease with him now. She was no longer that silly child getting nervous over every little thing. She had once just been happy being near him, but now she wanted to know more about him. After all this time, she really hadn't known him at all. Even if she thought only a few days ago how she was so lucky to be with him when she had felt so distant from him at the beginning, in reality, that distance hadn't really changed. It was just her perception of it that had.

They walked by the pond, where the fountain of water danced and proceeded onward until they were rudely interrupted by a homeless man who chased after them for some change. With their hands no longer linked due to the chase, both of them hugged their chests afterwards, gasping for air, only to find that they were both laughing unstoppably a moment later. They had made their way to a vendor selling ice cream in their desperate run from the madman who was surprisingly athletic. And despite the fact that it was approaching winter, and in fact already somewhat cold, Ichigo giddily hopped around tugging at Masaya's sleeve.

"Ice cream ice cream ice cream!" She screamed bouncing up and down.

"You want strawberry right?" Masaya laughed. "Even in the winter Ichigo..." He mused as he handed some change to the ice cream seller, after ordering a strawberry and chocolate chip mint cone.

And of course, Ichigo being the pig that she was, devoured the ice cream as quickly as she could, no longer restraining herself to be the dainty koneko Masaya had called her.

"Owiee. Brain Freeze." She suddenly stopped eating her ice cream. She held her cone for a few minutes without eating, trying very hard to warm up her brain though not entirely sure how to do it.

"Ichigo - you're ice cream." Masaya pointed at the dripping mess.

"Wah!" She hurriedly licked off the dripping cream from the cone, and later emerged from it with a face full of strawberry cream.

Holding his stomach, Masaya started laughing uncontrollably. "Hahaha...Ichigo. You're face!" She smiled at him with her face still in a mess, glad that he was feeling better again.

As soon as he stopped laughing, he searched through his pockets for a tissue and then proceeded to wipe Ichigo's sticky face. His touch was gentle as he rubbed the clean tissue across her face. She could see the dark strands of his hair falling over his eyes. He was only inches from her and she could feel his breath. Dropping his hands, he stared at her, nearing her face as he held his breath. She knew it was coming, the onion breath kiss, though considering he just ate chocolate mint ice cream, it may be a tad more pleasant this time. She drew back a little, but when she realized she had, she stopped herself. He was closing in...

She felt the touch of his lips and tasted the mint of the ice cream that he had just eaten. This...wasn't _too _bad, she thought as she settled on the sensation of the lips though it wasn't anywhere as amazing as some of the kisses she's had before... She had completed her thought too soon, because at the next moment, it came once again. The prying tongue - goodness, it really did feel like she was getting licked by a dog in her mouth all over again.

POP! Her ears and tail appeared as she immediately pulled away from the kiss. Hold on. This seemed familiar. Hadn't this happened last time too? Had they all been mistaken to think that her cat features appeared when she got excited? Because she hadn't been excited at all, only a slight bit...disgusted by that tongue. Was it because it resembled a dog?

**Ring! Ring! Ring!**

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by her phone, which she had switched to ringing mode. "I'm sorry Masaya. Can you wait a moment?" She asked her boyfriend, who was now smiling at her cat-like features.

"No problem." He really couldn't help smiling that his kiss had left her so excited. "That must've been some kiss." He mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Ichigo had caught his words. Really, was he at that again? She rolled her eyes but chose to ignore him afterwards as she began to search for her phone.

Upon picking it up, her face paled. "Yo slave. You're still on duty. Come meet me at the cafe now."

"Wh-What the hell are you talking about you jerk?" She screamed into the phone. Masaya sat up, suddenly alert.

"Look, did you forget that we have to meet Ms. Sukai? Didn't you tell me that yesterday?" Ryou sounded exasperated on the other line. "Slave. This is an order." She heard him sigh. "Come here now if you want to be that silly Strawberry dumdum popstar."

"Ahh." She cried, waving her strawberry cone around. "Fine fine fine. I'm coming you overlord of evil."

"Pftt. It's master to you." She heard a click and then the dial tone.

"Geez...didn't even have the decency to say goodbye, jerkface." The redhead grumbled as her boyfriend tried very hard to make out what was going on. She turned to Masaya. Now how was she going to explain this?

"You WHAT?!" He shot up from the bench upon hearing Ichigo's explanation. "I TOLD you to forget about that whole thing. I can't believe you didn't listen to me. I SPECIFICALLY TOLD you to stay away from that Shirogane-san." Well, so much for trying to have an honest relationship. Really why was this such a big deal? Didn't he know how much she wanted this? Why didn't he try to understand? Goodness, just when she thought things were comfortable between them, just when she thought she could be honest with him, just when she thought she could finally show him who she really was, and not that fake dainty girl he used to see.

"Well Mr. Perfect." She snapped. "So did you expect me to quit my job too?!"

"YES." He screamed. Oh, that was absolutely ridiculous. The idol thing, maybe that was understandable, but this. This really was going too far. Hadn't he thought about how all her best friends were at the cafe? The other Mews...how could she just leave them forever just because of a jealous boyfriend's suspicions? And what was with the _specifically told you_ thing? Like he could just boss her around?

No siree. She wasn't just going to take this. Who the hell was he to think he could _control_ her?

"I'M GOING! And there's nothing you can do to stop me!" She stormed away from him, fuming with ferocious anger, heading towards her beloved cafe that was her second home no matter how much Masaya disliked it.

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Did you guys notice how Ryou said it was 'hot yesterday' when it's getting close to winter? ;)

What'd you guys think? I found this chapter a little difficult to write but I guess that's only because I'm superrr biased...so it's always more fun for me to write about Ichigo and Ryou. Anyway, this chapter was mostly to develop the plot and to show Ichigo's gradual realization of Masaya's characteristics.

Also, at the rate this is going, I think this story is going to end up being really longg...like 20+ chapters long...I hope you guys will stay through it!


	15. Heartfelt Confession?

Okay, so this was originally going to have a lot more stuff in it, but I found that everything I wanted to write for this chapter is probably going to get split into three parts. It's just easier that way for me because then the point of view of whoever's speaking matches up with what's going on better (one of the difficulties I found was in writing as a character in a situation that would be better suited for the other).

Enjoy the read!

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**Chapter 15:**** Heartfelt Confession?**

His cerulean eyes focused on his parents' faces as he stared at the picture on his desk. Ryou somehow managed to find comfort in the photo. It was strange how the once recurring memory no longer came whenever he looked at them. Rather, it was replaced by the comforting tinkle of bells which sounded so familiar…

The ringing of bells like Ichigo's.

He groaned as he allowed himself to fall face first into his soft bed. That was _exactly_ what he was trying to forget about when he had started looking at the picture. He recalled how only a few hours ago, he had almost let it slip that he thought the strawberry's actions last night weren't at all desperate, only _really hot. _Honestly, what a bad save. It was hot yesterday? Goodness gracious, they were approaching winter!

He could still hear her words right after she had practically knocked him out with that kiss. "Yes Master." It sent shivers down his spine.

"Keep your cool!" His shouts were muffled in his blanket. How could he let that baka turn him into this? He was THE emotionless Ryou Shirogane. How could he let himself sink so deeply into this? Hadn't he decided long ago to forget about her?

And that Aoyama. Damn him for just plainly telling the redhead to her face after everything he did to prevent her from knowing.

"CALM DOWN!" He shouted once again into his bedsheets. It was okay, everything was A-okayy. The baka probably still hadn't caught on. He should be grateful that she was such an idiot. And Aoyama's accusations? That only meant that he could rile up that annoying guy, a fact that was honestly quite pleasing. So everything was fine right?

He uttered a sound between laughing and crying. Everything other than the fact that he had helped them make up. Why had he done that?

Well, no matter how much he hated seeing them together, there was no way he could let it end over a misunderstanding because of him. When it came down to it, he really would do anything for that silly thickheaded girl, even if it meant living in constant misery. He would probably never see the redhead again after things were settled between her and Aoyama, now that her boyfriend's disapproval of him was openly revealed today. There was no way that she would do anything to jeopardize her relationship with Mr. Perfect.

And though Ryou was thoroughly convinced of this, he could not help but remember the kiss Ichigo had given him.

He raised his head from the bed, stretching over to get a good look at the clock. Noon? It was _only _noontime? Letting out a huge sigh, he forced himself off of the bed, heading over to the drawers. Pathetic Ryou was appearing earlier and earlier each day. Hadn't he at least been able to control it until evening time before this?

The blond reached over to grab a towel before heading to the bathroom. Really, no more of this. He wasn't a silly schoolgirl head over heels in love even if he was starting to act like one. He was THE Ryou Shirogane, cool and sexy 17-year-old entrepreneur. High school heart throb who could have any pick of the girls in his school... so why didn't he?

Feeling a headache coming on, he headed to the shower.

The sensation of the pellets of icy cold water beating rhythmically on his back numbed him. What was he so worried about? Whatever happens, will happen. There was nothing to get so heated over.

Wrapping a towel around him, he got out of the bathroom and met an unexpected guest.

"AHH! HENTAI! PERVERT!" Well, maybe not that unexpected. The redhead stood by the doorway, hand still on the doorknob as she bent down and grabbed whatever clothes that were in reach to chuck at him. When she had run out of things to throw, she spun around, ears and tail popping into place. The cat-like features of which Ryou in no way missed.

"Hm?" He uttered calmly. "Who's the pervert who walked in on me?" Yes, this was how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to be the one to get flustered. "And who told you to come in anyway?"

"Y-You did!" She cried, with her back facing him, tail lashing about uncontrollably. Hm...was that for him?

He rolled his eyes at her, revealing none of his thoughts. "Are you sure you're not just hearing things you want to hear Ecchi Ichi? And will you get over it already? You've seen me like this tons of times already." He said matter-of-factly, though he was amused and very much pleased that she was so nervous at the sight of his bare chest. Now that things were beginning to resemble his normal relationship with the baka, he was able to maintain his cool outer demeanor.

Despite his words, he slipped into the clothes that had been thrown at him. He knew a real conversation absent of stutters with the redhead would be impossible unless he was fully dressed, a fact that brought a slight smile to his lips. "You can turn around now."

She turned her head to face him cautiously at first, and upon finding that it was safe, she spoke. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" She raised one hand against her hip as her left hand remained rested on the doorknob, waiting expectantly.

"No. When have I ever?" He saw her pout in the corner of his eyes. She released her hand from the doorknob and walked in despite his words. "Besides, you always invite yourself anyway." He smirked at her.

To his amusement, she turned a shade of pink as she stood frozen in place with one leg just about to touch the ground.

"So? Why are you here?" He sat on the swivel chair that stood in front of his desk.

Upon hearing him speak, the cat girl loosened up, and settled comfortably on his bed, swinging her legs around. Since when had she acted so casual in his room? Well, it shouldn't have been surprising considering all they had been through in just one night. Getting caught in a couple of embarrassing situations in the same room really familiarizes one to it. Hadn't he acted no less casual in her bedroom?

"You _told _me to." She kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed, raising one arm against her forehead as she heaved a sigh. He remained silent as he watched her staring up at his ceiling thoughtlessly, as if it was her own room. "You know, since Sukai-san is coming. Akasaka-san let me in. He said he'll let us know when she's here."

Right. How could he have forgotten? He was the one who called the redhead over. However, as he was still very much distracted that she was so relaxed on _his_ bed, he did not even grace her with a proper response.

"When'd you get so..._comfortable_ in here?" He finally voiced the question that had been in his mind for the past minute, rolling his chair closer to the bed as he crossed his legs on top of it while he faced her. It wasn't that he really minded; it was actually kind of nice, like they were almost...friends. He was just curious as to what the very unavailable redhead was thinking.

"You don't want me to be?" She suddenly turned to take a look at him and puffed up her cheeks, pretending to be offended. He gave her a shrug, as if he didn't care. Though if she pulled off another "_Yes Master"_ tone again, while laying there so comfortably, he really wouldn't know what to do.

"Besides, my master's room is my room." She said sarcastically. That wasn't quite it, though he stirred just the slightest bit at the word 'master'.

"Ha! I think you've got it mixed up strawberry. The slave's room is the master's. Since the master owns the slave, the master should also own everything the slave owns."

"But what could you want from me?" She gave a slight whine as she turned on her side to face him. "The overlord of evil already has everything! This puny slave can't grant you anything you don't already have."

"That's not true." The blond muttered from his seat, but the redhead hadn't heard him.

"And since I don't have anything in particular that you'd want, I say this whole master slave thing should be forgotten." She turned to look at him with a slight twinkle in her eyes. Ahh. So that's what she was getting at.

"No."

"Please, please, please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Just because."

"Come onn! I'll do anything." He raised an eyebrow at her. Quite the thing to say.

"Baka. Isn't that what got you into this mess to begin with?" He saw her cheeks turn red before she quickly spun around to face the other direction.

"I...I just don't see the point to all this."

"You've barely even started and you're already wussing out? Careful, kitty." He referred to her still present black ears, though Ichigo couldn't see he was pointing at them. "Or you'll become like your scaredy-cat boyfriend." Though being a scaredy-_cat_ was giving him too much credit, considering he was afraid of cats. It should've been more like scaredy-_mouse_, but even mice seemed more fearless than that wuss. He sneered at her, waiting for her typical angry response.

"Le-Let's not talk about him." Her voice was soft with a subtle tremble to it. Was she upset?

"How come?" He pried, even though he knew he shouldn't.

"Because he's a jerk." Whoa. Were his ears working properly?

"What did you say?"

"Oh, stop sounding so surprised jerk. You heard me." She grabbed a pillow nearby and pushed it against her face. "We were having a perfectly free Masaya talk too and you had to bring him up you jerk."That sounded oddly familiar. Wait, of course it did - that's what he thought to himself over the millions of times the thickheaded cat girl mentioned her perfect boyfriend.

He leaned over to feel the girl's forehead.

"Ugh. It's not that unbelievable I'd say that." She pushed his hand away. Strange, she really _didn't_ have a fever.

He only raised an eyebrow at her, to which she rolled her eyes in a slight defeat. She spoke. "Why'd you have to bring him up?" Really, like he had wanted to. Ichigo and Aoyama, together for more than a year. Everyone associated them together, it couldn't be helped. And honestly, what else could he talk to her about. It wasn't like they could talk like girlfriends and discuss the latest fashion or whatever it was girlfriends talked about.

"So why's he a jerk?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Because he just is!" She said rolling his eyes at him in exasperation. "God you can be annoying."

"Just giving you a taste of Ichigo madness, strawberry." He said as he offered his infamous smirk. A moment of silence passed between them.

"Shut up." She said blandly as she reached for a pillow and chucked it at him.

Smack! Another hit to the face. But it wasn't all that bad; at least the strawberry didn't throw any hard or sharp objects at him...yet. He held the pillow in his hand as he remained seated, saving it as a shield in case Ichigo decided to change her mind. Despite himself, he was enjoying this meaningless conversation with her.

"You should really consider getting some new clothes."

THUD! His legs just slipped off the bed. God, not the girlfriend talk. He had spoken too soon.

"You're always wearing the same clothes! It gets boring you know, and how can a future idol not care? Clothes are like...an idol's life, almost." She rolled on her back, staring up at his ceiling.

"Eh. I don't really care for new clothes." He couldn't tell what was going on in that easily distracted mind of hers at the moment, but he figured he would play along until he could find out.

"Oh no no no. That won't do. Come on!" she sat up smiling, facing the sitting Ryou. "We can even go shopping together!" she squealed with delight. Unable to keep up with her sudden mood change, Ryou stared at her blankly. No amount of smiling was going to convince him to shop with a girl.

"Go pick on Mint."

"I'm not trying to pick on you." She rolled her eyes at him yet again. "I just figured, since we're going to be working together for everyday of our lives from now on" she paused to shudder, "we might as well _try _to get along."

"SHOPPING?! God no! Why in heavens would you even come up with an idea like that?"

"Come on."

"No."

"Why not?"

"NO!" He sighed. Hadn't he already given her a taste of her own medicine once? If he had to imitate Ichigo yet another time, he might actually have to jump out the window. Despite his supposed love for the girl, she was still incredibly annoying at times. "Why are you even asking? It's not like we're friends or anything." At least nowhere close enough for him to actually give in to shopping with a girl.

The redhead looked a little taken back. "We're not?"

"No, we're not."

"Oh." Her voice sounded almost...disappointed? But that was utterly impossible. "I mean...I just thought that since you helped me out with Masaya and all..."

"I thought you didn't want to talk about it."

"I don't. I was talking about you, he just happened to be mentioned."

"Mhmm." Ryou got off the swivel chair and settled beside the detransformed cat girl, ready for the imminent ranting. Certainly, he would probably be annoyed to the point of wanting to shoot himself just hearing about that aggravating Aoyama in all his perfection, but he really wanted to listen to Ichigo...like a friend.

"It's nothing really. I just found out that he was nothing like I thought he was." She was watching the ceiling intently. Really, there must have been something incredibly interesting up there that he had missed.

Ryou's blond hair flung limply over his eyes as he suddenly turned to stare at Ichigo. Was this even the same baka speaking? Had she _finally_ realized? But deciding it was better not to gloat at having tried to warn her repeatedly, he let it slide. Honestly, after all the times he told her to act natural, to be herself, it had taken her _this _long to see that Aoyama for what he really was.

She looked a little sad, with her ruby hair hanging loosely down her shoulders and across the bed. She really was beautiful, even when she had that sad look and she hadn't put up her hair today. Was that because of his compliment this morning?

"And by GOD, he kisses like a dog."

"What?" He had been caught totally off guard.

"Ma-Sa-Ya kisses like a dog with onion breath."

"Oh?" Now this was interesting. The blond couldn't resist the wide grin that was now growing on his face. "So you've had better?"

"Goodness, I've had better with _real_ dogs." She shuddered.

"Oh."

"Disappointed?" She questioned as she suddenly turned on her side to look at him. "Did you think I was going to compliment your kisses?" But even as she teased, he thought he could see her cheeks getting pink.

"Why don't you have a taste before you judge?" He was lying right beside her and when he rolled over on his side to face her, he was only inches from her lips. He could hear the soft tinkle of her cat bell.

She stared into his eyes with her imploring brown orbs. He was sure she could feel his breath and the strands of his blond hair tickling her forehead. He was certain she knew what was coming. But she didn't move.

He inched in, making contact with her sweet strawberry lips and pulled her closer, as much as it was physically possible, hands wrapped snugly around her waist. He felt her hand combing through his golden hair as she kissed back and deepened it. Finally, he drew away, feeling a sudden pang of disappointment for having to part lips.

His arms were still wrapped protectively around her though, as he looked at the very dazed Ichigo.

"Uh..."she began, breaking the silence between them as they stared questioningly into each other's eyes. "Well wow um...you must've had a lot of practi-." He saw her suddenly shut her mouth, keeping herself from completing the words as she looked away, though he already knew her thoughts.

"Just on you strawberry, no one else." He whispered softly into her ears. He felt her shiver under his arms, probably from the winter cold. Ryou hugged her closer, bringing one arm to the back of her neck as he pulled her into his chest. He hadn't even thought about it; his body just moved on its own. Although his actions were confident and steady, he honestly wasn't that confident. He couldn't help but sink deeper and deeper in this...blissful yet fleeting moment which would only transform into anguish later on.

Not wanting the moment to end, he held the cat girl still as he reached over to pet her furry ears. "Ichigo..." He felt the girl purr under his chin as she dug her head closer towards him. He was being unfair again wasn't he? Taking advantage of her cat genes at such a moment, because there was no way she would be trying to get even closer to him if he had not been petting her ears.

He choked slightly on his words before continuing. This was it wasn't it? She was nestled in his arms so comfortably, as if she belonged there. He was certain this time she had yet again kissed back. He hadn't imagined it at all. There was no way he could have missed what just made his knees feel so weak. And she had come back to him despite Aoyama's disapproval..."I think I'm in -- "

"She's here!" Keiichiro suddenly burst through his bedroom door. God, his best friend really had incredible timing.

"Uh...Pardon me." The brunet said without waiting for an explanation this time as he slammed the door shut.

Ichigo, released from her daze, looked up at him. Her ears were twitching and he could feel her tail slapping against his leg. Turning a very dark shade of red, she pushed him forcefully away from her. "PERVERT! HENTAI!" She scrambled off the bed, almost toppling over the side and some how managed to get her shoes on despite her sudden panic. He watched her ruby hair flow behind her as rays of sunlight struck the strands, causing them to glow.

The blond sighed as he watched her bounce out of the room. He just didn't have the energy for another argument now. He was left feeling weak after the kiss after all.

God, it really was impossible with the strawberry. He could only imagine what would have happened if Keiichiro hadn't saved him from saying something he would forever regret. That redhead would probably just laugh it off, or worse yet, scream at him for being such an idiot for feeling the way he did. Why the hell would he ever open himself up to someone like that? The blue-eyed Ryou shoved his hands into his pockets as he made his way out the door, his foul mood completely apparent.

"Ryou." Keiichiro spoke as the blond passed by him on his way downstairs, "why don't you just tell her already."

He only rolled his eyes at his friend. To think that he almost had.

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Okay, so not one of the most eventful chapters. This part was originally only supposed to be only a very short part of one big chapter but I thought it was time for some more development in terms of their relationship with one another. It might seem almost like a repeat of another chapter, but this time, it's in Ryou's point of view as they're getting closer.


	16. Looking Like A Star

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Please read and review! Even though the story is complete, reviews are still very much appreciated. It's just nice to see readers take the time to offer feedback to the writer.

Enjoy the read!

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**Chapter 16****: Looking Like A Star  
**

"So what do you think?" The woman with the navy blue hair said. She stood in front of the two open boxes, across from the red-haired cat girl (whose features were still present) and her blond blue-eyed boss. "If you're going to become idols, you need to look the part."

The redhead sat on the white café chair, with her mouth hanging open. Inside the cardboard box lay a gorgeous maroon satin dress. She lifted it out of the box to get a better look. It hung from her hand, silky cloth draping into beautiful folds at the bottom carefully planned, but they seemed to flow naturally. A part of the cloth was crossed over another section and continued to wrap along the other side, forming the v-cut opening. She turned to look at the other outfit. It wasn't anything she was particularly interested with – just a plain white dress shirt and a sleek black tuxedo.

"How uh…did you get Ryou's measurements?" Ichigo wondered out loud, suddenly remembering that she had not managed to give them to Sukai-san. A rosy tint crept across her face as she recalled her embarrassing attempts to get the measurements from her boss.

"I told her yesterday." The blond replied in place of the woman.

"When?" She carefully folded the dress back into the box.

"When you were asleep." He was smirking. "She called your cell yesterday, but I didn't want to wake you so I just told her myself." Wait. _He_ picked up her phone last night – last night when he was alone in her room? She gave a slight groan, dropping her head. Why on Earth would he do that? Now that woman was going to get the wrong idea about them.

Sora, the normally strict business woman, was smiling. "This is going to be much easier than I thought. Things will flow along much more easily now that you're a couple."

"A COUPLE?!" Ichigo screeched, now completely crimson. "With HIM?" Her arm was shaking as she pointed a finger at the very calm blond. It didn't help that her ears and tail were already in place either.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about, _honey_" he cooed the words and blew into her ear, causing the very nervous girl to fall off her chair. He really was a pervert, but a cute one at that. _That_ was probably the only reason he wasn't already beaten to a pulp.

Although her eyes could not be seen through the glare of her reflective glasses, Ichigo was certain that the woman in the dark-rimmed glasses was wearing an expression of amusement. Oh heavens, was she …_smirking_? "I didn't think that dark-haired boy suited you. Seemed like the jealous type. It would be bad to deal with that if you and Shirogane-san are going to be partners. Relationships are hard for idols, especially being in one with someone controlling." Sora said everything matter-of-factly as if it was nothing new to her. But Ichigo was just a tad bit surprised. She hadn't really thought about what becoming an idol would do to her relationship and she certainly wouldn't have imagined that becoming a famous idol would make it close to impossible to date.

"Oh honey, good thing you broke it off with that jerk." Ryou was smirking like mad. He was just having a grand ole' time wasn't he? That blond really riled her up sometimes, even when he seemed to be kind in other moments. His constant changes were annoying and confusing. She could never tell when he was being sincere, or just pretending to be nice to tease her. She really needed some kind of mood detector with him, or Ryou needed his own color changing mood, or rather, personality ring. Red for demon boss from hell, blue for ecchi Ryou, yellow for sweet Ryou. Well cross the last one, when was he ever sweet to her?

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo screamed at her boss, wiping off Sora's smirk who had been watching the two fondly. "Of course I'm still with him. He might be a jerk sometimes but I still love him!" _I think._ Although in all honesty, the redhead wasn't quite sure what to think and her sudden outburst was specifically due to this fact. She hated Masaya's controlling nature and his lack of concern when he was angry, and then there were those kisses (while she thought this, she fought the extreme desire to shudder). But when she took a moment to think, she really had felt different around him today; she wasn't giddy or nervous around him anymore, but that meant that she had only just gotten over the crush-ing part of the relationship, right? She wasn't nervous because she was more comfortable around him now, and wasn't that a sign of the beginning of a real relationship?

She raised her voice as she continued speaking. "Sukai-san, I'm sorry but I'm still with Masaya, even if it might make it a little difficult for my career. But we can't choose who we love."

"Don't I know it" Ryou muttered but Ichigo wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. What did that mean anyhow? Well, not that it was any of her concern.

"And really, I'd prefer to stay away from this guy as much as possible. I'm only just tolerating having to be around him for work." If she spent any more time with this guy, she wouldn't know what to do with herself. He always caused her so much trouble. Besides, if it wasn't for that cute blue-eyed demon, she wouldn't have called her boyfriend a jerk. If Ryou hadn't been so confusing, leaving her so breathless with all those random kisses he only used to tease her with, she wouldn't be in this mess.

The blond gave her a narrow glance, before turning his head away from her. His golden hair flopped over his eyes as he looked down. He picked up the tuxedo, carefully examining it, though why he hadn't looked at it so carefully at it before was beyond her. Really, this guy was something wasn't he? Was he just completely ignoring her now?

"What? No comeback?" The redhead was agitated by his silence. She was agitated by his lack of countering her words. But why should it bother her? If anything, that just meant that she had an easy victory for the first time. She resisted the urge to scream at him, to tell him to pick up his sorry head and yell back like he usually did.

She was honestly angry at the guy for everything he did. Sure, it was one thing to kiss her like that, but then to try to pull off all of those kisses as something casual? The last one she just shared with him only reminded her of the series of intense kisses she could in no way, _ever _forget. How in heavens could they be casual? She's never even had that kind of intense kiss with her own boyfriend, it couldn't possibly have passed for casual.

"Baka." What, just one word? What happened to the smug snobby jerk who had an answer to everything? And what the hell kind of personality is this one? She could barely deal with the three other ones.

He took in a deep breath. "Look, you idiot. You're the one who asked _me_ okay? I didn't even want to be here to begin with. If it's really that bad, then why'd you bother to ask, baka?" He said it all in a breath, voice trembling as he spoke. He must have been really agitated.

Why had she bothered to ask? Did she really hate being around him as much as she said? Because he did have a point… if she really _did_ hate his guts so much, there was no way she could deal with an idol partnership with him, even if it meant becoming famous. And if that was true, why did she go ahead and ask him anyway? Especially when Masaya was against it.

Rather than choosing to reply to the question, which she herself did not know the answer to, she chose to concentrate on something else. "I'm not a baka! _You're_ the baka, BAKA!"

He raised an eyebrow at her, looking down from his seat as she was still sitting on the floor, just as she had for the past ten minutes...like an idiot. "Like I said, you're the idiot who asked me. I didn't even want to be here." His voice was cold.

"Well, WHATEVER. If you don't want to be here, then don't!" She stomped her legs against the floor, where she was still seated. Was it really that bad doing this whole idol business with her? It wasn't as if she desperately wanted him here either; only it was absolutely necessary if she was to become an idol. If he was just going to join her, only to constantly say that he didn't want to be there, then she'd prefer him not to bother with it at all. She'd even give up her future career to save herself the torture of hearing him complain about it all the time.

**BANG!** Sora Sukai slammed her hands into the table top to silence the two. Her eyes were twitching.

"HUSH now you kids." The woman was wearing a very strained expression on her face. "As your manager, you are to do everything I say, got it?" She sent them both a piercing glare, scaring Ichigo into jumping up from the ground and immediately making her way to her seat in submission, though as for the usual cold Ryou, he only nodded in acknowledgment.

"This isn't going to work out if you guys are like this." Ichigo heard the woman groan. "And I can't take it back after I've already reported to the company. Blasted deadlines."

The cat girl's head shot up. She had almost thought she lost her chance. But…this meant that it was definitely decided right? She turned to look at her manager, as her stomach jumped with glee at those words, but caught Ryou watching her in the corner of her eyes. He was…was he smiling at her?

Wasn't he just angry with her a moment ago? _Damn confusing split-personality Ryou._ She wanted to stay angry since they had just declared their utter loathing at becoming partners, but…she just couldn't. _Damn that smile to hell. Mental note: defenses are useless when personality ring shines yellow. _

But just because she wasn't actually mad at him, didn't mean that she should let him know. God, she could only imagine what he would do if he knew he had that amount of influence over her, although she was angry because she didn't know why he did. Thus her previous rage directed at the blond was now transformed into anger at herself. There really was no difference on the outside though as she continued to fume incoherently.

"Okay, okay." Sora finally spoke after working things out in her head. The fuming Ichigo remained restlessly seated next to the casual Ryou. "The both of you are to undergo some serious training in teamwork. The comedy duo isn't funny when you guys can't get along."

"Uh…what?" Ichigo stopped her mumbling in sudden surprise. "Comedy duo…?"

"Yeah. You guys are a comedy act together."

"Nani?!" The redhead dropped her forehead against the white tabletop. What happened to her dreams of being the coolest, most popular popstar ever? Did her manager always have this idea in mind? No, _their_ manager. Was Ichigo fated to become just a laughable character to be ridiculed by her jerk of a partner for the rest of her life?

Sora rested an elbow on the table, twirling a pen around. "You guys can barely get along. There's just no way you can be anything more than a comedy duo, but even that takes _some _amount of camaraderie. The comedy duo is the perfect compromise – you can't hate each other, but you won't have to really even _like_ each other. You only need to be able to just stand each other so you don't absolutely hate working."

Ichigo stared at her dumbstruck, tears beginning to well up from utter despair. So she really was going to be stuck as that comedic figure for the rest of her life – the comic relief to Ryou's life.

"So let me know when you are available for a week long training. If possible, let your parents know that you'll be away for a week. Have them sign these documents too." Sora reached into her briefcase and pulled out two sheets of paper.

Ryou was looking blankly at the papers and after receiving them from Sora, Ichigo noticed that he had begun gripping the paper a little too tightly. She was certain he was thinking of his parents. Not waiting for Ryou to respond, the redhead bounced up from her seat. "We'll have it taken care of."

She gave a slight smile to the Ryou, who only just noticed that she had brought her hand over his, loosening his grip. The memory of the Ryou's desperate voice in that one moonlit night, lingered in her head no matter how she resisted. Maybe she had lost a bit of her mind, but Ichigo wanted to comfort him upon seeing him so vulnerable, just like a lost child.

"Anyway, for today, I'll just give you a tour of the company and have you sign some papers. It's a holiday, but the company rarely closes. Managing idols is hard work after all." Sora rose from her seat, stuck her pen back into the briefcase and proceeded to speak. "I'll have the limo waiting outside of the park. Come after you've changed." She smiled at the two and made her way out the cafe.

Ichigo could tell Ryou had not heard a single word as he continued to stare at the paper that he now loosely held. With her hand still on his, she whispered to the daze blond. "Ryou-chan." She remembered that night when she had seen this familiar look of his and knew that this would get his attention.

Suddenly brought back to reality, his cerulean eyes met hers. They were deep, and full of confusion. "Ichigo?" His eyes grew wide.

"Let's get changed." She said softly as she pulled him up. Her jerk of a boss wasn't so bad all the time; he really did have his moments. Sure, he could be really annoying, but he was a good guy inside all of those emotionless shields. Besides, this was the same guy who agreed to something he absolutely hated doing just so she could become an idol. He was the same guy who sang in front of the whole cafe, despite his distaste for attention, just for her.

Ten minutes later, an agitated blond was tapping his foot against the ground. He rested his chin on the palm of his hand as he propped his elbow against the hard tabletop. "ICHIGO!" He yelled, thoroughly tired of waiting.

The cat girl finally walked out of the locker room, cat ears flopped down and black tail absent because it couldn't appear under the dress. She could feel her warm cheeks, which were probably quite red by now, as she stared at the wooden floor of the cafe.

"Wow." She thought she heard the rumble of his deep voice, but she wasn't entirely sure since it was covered by the sound of the legs of the white cafe chair scrapping against the hardwood floor as the blue-eyed Ryou hurriedly stood up.

She didn't dare look up. The dress felt ...tight. Not overly tight, but it hugged nicely to her sides exposing curves that she didn't even know she had beneath her normal frilly cafe dress and everyday clothes. It was just so awkward. The dress wasn't at all her style -- it felt so elegant, almost too elegant. She was just too embarrassed.

"It's too good for me." That was why she felt so uncomfortable in it.

"N-no, no it's not." He brought a hand to the back of his neck as he chuckled awkwardly. "It's absolutely hot..." She saw him turn away from her, dropping his head against his palm. "...in here I mean. I should really lower down the heat." His back was still facing her. She could see him scratching his head a little too hard.

Ichigo watched him curiously. She really was beginning to wonder if he was dyslexic or something. He really seemed to pause in between sentences randomly lately. "So what do you think?" She shuffled uncomfortably in her dress, despite the fact that it physically felt nice to wear it. It was soft and silky, had an awesome texture; it was just too perfect, which left her feeling a little uneasy. She was reminded of the misleading image of perfection- never would she believe in the idea of perfection again.

After fixing his hair, he turned around to face her. "Beautiful," he said softly. For some reason, her skin tingled at the sound of his husky voice.

"The dress of course." But she took no notice of his last few words, because as soon as he turned around, she saw his sleek black tuxedo.

"You look...good." _REALLY good. _The redhead said as she stared at Ryou's clothes, the hair on her furry black ears stood on end. They hadn't seemed as spectacular in any way at all when they were in that box, but now, now it was completely different. He looked absolutely _gorgeous_, so much that he made the tux look good. He really looked like he could be a famous idol, or movie star, or model.

Her left cat ear twitched just a bit as she approached him. There was just something that was a little off. She could smell his vanilla scent as she brought her arms suddenly to his neck, straightening the dark red bow tie that matched the color of her dress.

"Uh..thanks strawberry." He looked a little stiff. Ichigo figured it was most likely that he felt out of place in his clothes as well, though there was no reason for him to at all. Those clothes seemed to be made for him (they probably were). She scanned him in his outfit...for any last minute adjustments of course, and not to check him out! But her cheeks turned rosy pink as she kept her thoughts to herself. She reached over at the little red handkerchief that was sticking out of the pocket by his chest. It was the perfect final touch.

"Oh," Ryou spoke when she lightly brushed her finger over it, "I added that in. Figured it'd go well with your dress." She looked up at him, the bell at her neck tinkled. Why would he want it to?

He rolled his eyes at her. "You're my _partner_ after all." Mindreading powers of the devil? Why hadn't anyone mentioned that the devil would look like _this_? She gave a slight shiver. He raised his hand to her neck. She could feel his warm touch as she took a gulp. "You should probably take this off." Tinkle Tinkle. He was tapping the bell on her neck.

The bell that Masaya gave her. "Oh..." _Geez_._ Masaya._ How on Earth had she completely forgotten about him? "Um..."she said hesitantly, as thoughts of her boyfriend came flooding back. How did she manage to forget about that distressing argument they just had? Wasn't it only a few days ago when her mind was constantly filled with thoughts of only her beloved boyfriend? What was happening?

She heard the blond sigh. "Relax, you don't have to leave it behind. Aoyama gave you that right?" She saw his emotionless blue eyes flicker for a brief moment with...disappointment or was it pain? But it had gone as soon as it came. She felt the red ribbon slip from her neck as Ryou's hands untied it from the back. He brushed her long red bangs to the back of her head while avoiding her furry black ears, and tied the ribbon carefully around the lock of ruby hair.

The cat girl was surprised at his gentleness and the fact that he made no mention of her ears at all. Maybe the sudden reminder of his parents really had brought him really down. "Let's go." She heard him say suddenly as he reached for her hand, tugging her out of the cafe with him.

By the time they reached the limo at the front entrance of the park, Ryou had long dropped Ichigo's hand to her dismay. But she had only been somewhat disappointed because the touch of his hand had been so comforting, like a silent encouragement for her to do her best. Somehow, Ryou didn't seem like his typical mean self or maybe it was just her seeing him in a different way. Besides, his tone hadn't really changed and he hadn't stopped teasing her, so why did he seem so much sweeter today?

Everything about today was so off. Her world was turned completely upside down. It was like Masaya and Ryou had switched personalities almost, but not quite. Masaya's meanness was much worse than her previously reviled boss's. She hated Masaya's anger; he would cast her aside and could even completely forget about her. Even Ryou at his worst rage wouldn't leave her crying alone on the streets. But Masaya's sweetness was more extreme as well; it was caring and loving and reliable -- like the love of an older brother or a close friend, while Ryou's sweetness was... Oh Good LORD. She hadn't just thought...No way. She couldn't have just thought that Masaya was like an _older brother?!_

"What's wrong Ichigo?" She heard Ryou's voice from her left. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder to stop her from her continuous shuddering. "You've been phasing out for quite awhile now." His eyebrows were scrunched together and his blue eyes glimmered with...concern? She suddenly turned away from him. Why was he being so _kind_? He was only confusing her more with this sudden change in attitude and she didn't think she could take it for much longer.

She felt her palms pressed against the leather texture of the firm seat. Looking straight ahead of her, she saw the two rows of leather seats set against both sides. At the very end, was another line of black leather seats that were set parallel against the ones she and Ryou were sitting on. Where the hell was she? There were tinted windows lined along the sides and the ceiling looked like the roof of a car...if it hadn't been so long. She suddenly leaned against a window, taking a look outside as the limo drove past tree after tree, lamppost after lamppost.

Ichigo suddenly heard a light buzzing and watched a small window that was set above the seats in front of her, slowly roll down. "We're here." Sukai-san spoke from beyond the window.

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Okay, so certainly not one of my best chapters, I'll admit. Compared to the other story, this one feels like it's moving along much more slowly. It's just gotten harder to write lately.


	17. First Day at Aurora Co

Woot woot an update

Woot woot an update! This story's been slowing down, so I thought it's about time to pick it up! **Please read and review!**

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**Chapter 17: First Day at Aurora Co.**

Their manager led them into a large imposing building in central Tokyo. Dark blue glass panes lined the four sides of the 42-story building, reflecting the image of the blue sky adorned with fluffy clouds. It was a sunny day despite the cold weather, and Aurora Co. stood as magnificently as ever, looming over all the buildings surrounding it.

Walking into the main entrance of the skyscraper, Ichigo gaped at the grandeur of the high ceilings, classy marble floors, and the impressive modern architecture. After passing by the security guards who only nodded respectfully at Sora, they got into a spacious elevator, lined with golden railing on the sides and got off at the 26th floor. They entered through locked glass doors that would only open with their manager's security card.

"Sukai-san" A woman with sleek black hair, tied into a bun spoke.

"Hello, Misuke." Sora said stiffly.

"Oh? Are these the two you were talking about?" She scanned them both, causing Ichigo to shuffle uncomfortably under her gaze as the redhead began to wonder about this woman's preferences. Ichigo leaned closer to Ryou and grabbed his arm, missing the pink tint that appeared on his face.

Finally done, she sighed and spoke arrogantly. "I doubt these two will be enough to beat my personally recruited idol." She turned away from them, already retreating from the three as she spoke. "I'll have my client come take a look at her so-called competition later on."

Sora gave a low hiss as the woman walked away, before beginning her tour. She led them to her office and introduced them to the staff of the managing company, then brought them to watch other idols. They were later brought to a large conference room to meet the director.

Settling in front of the large mahogany table, the slightly pudgy middle-aged man combed through the few masses of hair still remaining at his balding head. He folded his hands together, placing his elbows on the surface of the table and spoke.

"Not bad. Not bad at all Sukai-san. Let's just see how far they can go." He gave a slight smile, eyes twinkling with anticipation. Reaching for the two large piles of paper beside him, he continued. "Just read through these papers and sign them. When they're done, they're free to go. Of course, nothing's entirely final until we get permission from your guardians."

And so began the tedious hours of paperwork. Sukai-san, being the very trusty manager that she was, left not only two minutes after the director was gone, claiming that she had other work to take care of, and while Ichigo did not doubt this, she half wondered whether their manager had left specifically knowing exactly how monotonous this waste of a few hours of her life was.

"Ahhhh enough of this!" The redhead groaned, smacking her forehead against the wooden tabletop. Ryou sat calmly beside her, eyes scanning through the paper as if he had not noticed her at all.

"Ryou, I'm bored."

There was no answer, only the light scribbling of the pen. She leaned over beside him, looking over his arm to see what he had just signed.

"What's that? I'm not there yet." And still there was no answer as the cool headed blond continued to flip through page after page.

"You're signature's pretty." She never really had a look at his handwriting before. "Looks grown-up ish."

But he only continued through the large stack, speedily reading through the dull text.

"I'm bored." This experience was beyond boring. It was excruciating. It was worse than waiting at a doctor's office. And why wouldn't the only person left in the room just say _something_? _Anything? _Anymore of this silence, and she'd probably start thinking about her argument with Masaya.

Ugh. Right, her argument with Masaya. But refusing to let her mind dwell on depressing thoughts of her not so perfect, and quite unbelievably controlling boyfriend, she was determined not to give up.

"I SAID, I'm bored!" The girl proceeded to take her retractable pen to poke into Ryou's arm. Click

Still, nothing. Thoughts of Masaya were creeping closer, and they were quickly spreading through her mind.

"Ahh geez." She took her hands to sweep away the growing thoughts.

Click, click, click. "I'm bored." And though she really was, she was more afraid of having to deal with her recent problems with her boyfriend.

"God, Ichigo. You're such a kid." He finally turned to look at her, with one hand holding a new packet of paper and the other holding a blue pen. "If you'd just stay quiet and read through these, maybe we could actually leave before the end of tonight."

"But it's just sooo boring!" She stood up to stretch her legs. "And it's too quiet."

He resumed his work. "Quiet is good."

"No, it's not. Any more of this and I won't be able to stop myself from thinking of Masay-" She closed her mouth and dropped to her seat. "Damnit."

She heard him drop his pen. Ichigo watched the blond lean over the side of the desk to pick it up as she heard him speak. "Problems with Aoyama?"

"Oh um. Nothing much I guess." The redhead looked away. She felt him staring at her. He probably knew it wasn't just nothing if she had accidentally mentioned it twice in front of him, but it wasn't _really_ his business. Although it really was her fault for bringing it up, yet another time. "Arg. We just got into a fight about you." She mumbled.

He rolled his eyes at her. "I already _know_ that. That really wasn't a big deal you know. He was just like that because he cares." She thought she saw him grip his pen a little tighter.

"No, no, no. I'm not talking about _that _time. We got into _another_ fight. All of our fights seem to be about you." She turned her body to look at him, leaning to her side into the back of the chair. "We left on bad terms, before I came to meet up with you. He was really against my whole idol career with you, but I said I was going to do it anyway." It did feel a bit better to talk about it when she had been suppressing her thoughts for the entire day.

The blond looked a bit shocked. Both eyebrows were raised and his mouth was slightly open. But as soon as she noticed, he reverted back to his blank expression. "Well, he's an idiot if he thinks anything could happen between us."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, jerk?" She immediately jumped up, as the chair rolled away behind her. And why not? Was she really that unpleasant to be with? He made her seem like a total monster no one would be interested in, not that she had wanted him to be interested in her...

He was silent as he stared at her, but then his lips curved up into that blasted smirk. "Hmm." He paused for effect. "I mean, he's an idiot if he thinks you'd ever be disloyal when you're head over heels in love with him."

"Oh." Ichigo stared down at her hands as she considered Ryou's words. She was still standing. 'Head over heels in love' with Masaya...she just wasn't so sure about that anymore. How could she be with someone who would expect her to simply cast away her friends just for him? And if he really cared about her, he wouldn't ask for something so selfish - to give up her idolhood and her friendships. Really, she was beginning to wonder whether he just didn't know how to express his love for her or whether deep inside this entire time, he really was just a inconsiderate jerk, only she hadn't noticed. And why did that phrase sound so familiar?

"I don't know anymore." She whispered to herself, though she was sincerely determined to get through the problems with Masaya. Working through things was the start of a real relationship after all. Ryou continued to stare at her quietly; he probably hadn't heard her speak. "Anyway," the redhead turned around to retrieve her chair, "I just want to get out of here as soon as possible." Upon getting her chair, she cheerfully rolled it back to the table. She was finally on her way to becoming an idol. How could she let a tiny fight with Masaya ruin it for her now?

Turning to look at the blond, she was expecting him to roll his eyes at her for distracting them from completing the very work she was now determined to finish. Either that or he would have already shifted his attention to those boring papers. But he did neither, he only continued to stare at her.

"Is something on my face?" Had she had anything interesting to eat on her way up here? She couldn't remember too well.

"Ichigo." His tone was serious, which immediately caught her attention as she rarely heard him speak that way. "If something bothers you," he shifted his gaze away from her as he suddenly brought a hand to the back of his head, "just know that you can always talk to me. I mean, since you're my partner and everything." He was scratching his head awkwardly. It was an odd scene. Was he actually…nervous?

"HAHAHA." Her burst of laughter may have seemed rude, but she couldn't help herself. Her constantly calm and cold boss, nervous?! As IF, and certainly not over _her_. She wiped away a tear and spoke in the sincerest voice she could manage as she fought off the desire to laugh some more. "Thanks Ryou."

The blond was a little taken back. He turned to watch her, narrowing his eyes at her which had glazed over with a hardened look. She wasn't entirely sure why he suddenly looked at her like that; it wasn't a kind expression at all and it did not seem suitable right after what he had said.

But being the oblivious redhead that she was, she ignored it and spoke, once again in her cheery voice. "So does that mean we're friends now?"

His eyes widened, as his countenance softened. Ichigo was quite surprised to see so many changes in his expression in a day, when only a few days ago, she'd rarely see any other than the typical cold blank look that he wore. In only the past few days, she was beginning to see that he really was human after all, not a soulless demon from hell who felt nothing. Well, of course she had always known that, but it was a hard fact to accept when he rarely showed signs of any emotions at the café.

"Hm. I guess so." Although his tone was nonchalant, the redhead could see his cerulean blue eyes do the smiling for him. She had not even noticed when she began to be able to read his eyes so clearly. She chuckled lightly. It really was nice to see him wear a warm expression though; it suited him much better than that blank stare.

"You know, you really are a good guy after all." She thought of all those instances just in the last few days when he had given her a change in clothes to keep her from catching a cold, when he walked her home as a cat just so she'd be safe, when he comforted her on the street as she was completely ignored by Masaya. And during that entire time, she had only thought of him as a heartless jerk.

"You just noticed?" He asked simply, but he was flashing one of his rare genuine smiles. It made her heart stutter. How on Earth hadn't she noticed all this time? Even before these last few days, he had always thought of her and the Mews first. She recalled the numerous times Ryou had been there to save the Mews in trouble, putting himself at risk. He was as involved as he could get in all those fights; he wasn't just some heartless boss that made them collect Mew Aqua by themselves, he had always been out there in field, checking his sources first, making sure he was absolutely positive before he sent them out. And there were plenty of times he could've died helping them. How could she have thought of him as a jerk when he had only been so kind to them?

Especially to her. He'd even risk being stuck as a cat forever just to help her out on the streets. Hadn't he popped up every time kitty Ichigo was in trouble? And all those kisses she kept yelling at him for, in the end, weren't they to help her transform back? Well, most of those kisses…As for the more recent ones, they were…really something. They were exactly the kind she'd like to share with Masaya.

"Ryou," She whispered, quiet uncertain of what she would accomplish. He had once again resumed the paperwork, but he turned to look at her upon hearing her speak. His cerulean eyes were crystal clear, like the crisp water of a running brook and his golden hair hung carelessly over his forehead, extending over his eyes. His gaze was piercing as it bore through her.

She gulped nervously. What exactly had she wanted to do? "I…uh. Nevermind." The anxious girl looked away, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "B-back to w-work, ne?" She said as casually as she could manage, silently cursing to herself for her stuttering tongue.

She began to turn away from him, but suddenly felt a warm hand lifting her chin. Ryou was staring at her with such a look, she thought that her heart would jump out of her chest. He couldn't _hear_ it could he? Because it certainly felt loud enough for him to be able to. She had to stop staring at him, before…before she couldn't control herself. God, those words really did sound familiar.

Ichigo saw him getting nearer. She knew what he was going to do, she could already feel his breath against her face and smell his sweet vanilla scent. She should be pulling away now. She mentally screamed at herself to do it, but for some reason, she had an even greater urge to get closer. Just like the last kiss.

She brought a hand to the back of his neck and lightly brushed it with her finger tips as she began reaching for his hair, combing through it. Her skin was already tingling at the sensation, and their lips hadn't even met yet, even though they were only millimeters away…

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The redhead was suddenly brought to her senses by the sound. God they were at the company! What the hell was she thinking, letting him kiss her here?

"Ignore it" he whispered. She felt his warm breath when he spoke as she gave an involuntary shiver and was once again lost in his simple touch on her chin.

Click! The door swung open.

"Oh my – " The shocked Ichigo pulled away immediately at the sound of the voice. Why did it the voice sound so familiar?

She refused to turn around to meet the speaker at first. Her heart was beating erratically and she was certain that her face was now tomato red. Damn. She had almost kissed her gorgeous partner, just _almost,_ not that she would admit that she had wanted it.

Ichigo was still facing Ryou, who looked just a little rosier than his normal complexion. Lucky for her, she hadn't been sitting where he sat now, otherwise, she'd be the one who would have to face the open door, and the speaker.

His eyes grew wide in astonishment "Z-Zakuro?" When did he ever stutter?

Ichigo slowly turned to face the famous idol. She really would prefer to hide forever, but she would have to look at her _some_time. "Uh…hahahaha…" The redhead attempted to chuckle as she raised her hand against her head while she turned around…and felt something fuzzy?

Oh…shit. "Hello Zakuro nya!" God this was beyond embarassing. She slowly met her friend's gaze.

"Ichigo," The purple haired wolf girl raised an eyebrow at the transformed cat girl suspiciously. "Since when did you guys start dating?"

Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh GOD! The glowing red lantern that was Ichigo's face, dropped as the girl settled her gaze on something more comfortable than the piercing and questioning look of Zakuro. Finding the back of her hands suddenly very interesting, the redhead refused to speak, or rather, couldn't find the words to.

"Yo Zakuro. I was just experimenting. Wanted to see if Ichigo would turn into a cat without a kiss." Ryou's tone was neutral. He really hadn't seemed affected at all. Ichigo wasn't sure whether to be relieved of his apparent lack of concern since he would most likely manage to bail her out again, or whether she should be disappointed. After all, even if they hadn't done anything yet, it'd be nice to see that he was at least a little bit influenced by the intense moment. Well the intense moment to her at least.

"But it seems like it only worked half way." He raised his hand to gently pet her ears. It was just so comfortable that the cat girl couldn't help herself.

Purr, purr. "Hmm, I see." She didn't sound convinced at all, as she stared at the redhead purring so enthusiastically.

"So what are you doing here?" Ryou returned his gaze to the papers. Nothing really seemed to unnerve him.

"My manager said something about checking out the competition." She was smirking. "She had seemed so nervous too, said there was potential. I had no idea."

Forgetting her embarassment, Ichigo finally looked up. "You're manager is that black-haired woman? Um…what was her name? She seemed so…mean."

"Mika may come off that way." Upon seeing Ichigo's confusion, she corrected herself. "Mitsuke-san, I mean. It's understandable in the idol business to be a little competitive." Ichigo turned around to face Ryou, wondering how he would react and was surprised to see a subtle wink. Ah…so Ryou's quick-witted thinking was actually quite useful; he had managed to do what he did best – lead the conversation in a different direction.

"Anyway, I'll let you guys get back to the paperwork. That really was the worse part of the entire business I think." Zakuro thoughtfully brought a finger to her temple as she was remembering. "Took me about 5 to 6 hours."

"WHAT?" Ichigo jumped up. That was truly ridiculous.

"Relax Ichigo." Ryou said as he pushed her back down into her seat. "We'll finish much sooner than that if you just listen to me."

"Ichigo, eh? Getting friendly I see." Zakuro mused, her smirk back in place. She eyed the two suspiciously before speaking "Well, get back to work." Her long purple hair flowed behind her as she headed back towards the door. Before closing the door behind her however, she spoke. "Or back to your _experiments._"

The redhead lowered her eyes back at her hands which rested stiffly against her knees, anticipating the awkwardness with Ryou that should follow that moment they shared. She reluctantly brought her head up to get a look at him, as the bell in her hair tinkled in response, and was surprised to see he was already back at scribbling across various sheets of paper.

The blond finally laid down his pen on the table and leaned against his chair as he raised his arms above his head to stretch. "I'm done. How much further Ichigo?"

"You're kidding right?" The redhead's shock made her cat features disappear. "It's only been and hour and a half!" She stared at him incredulously. That's a genius for you.

He looked over at her stack of papers before speaking. "Well, wake me up when you're done." Ryou yawned and leaned his head against the headrest.

"W-what? You're going to sleep?!" She was still staring at him with the same expression. It just wasn't fair.

"I told you to keep working before." He replied coolly as he closed his eyes. As if that would make much of a difference. It would've still taken her hours anyway.

"But- " She dropped her head against the tabletop and groaned. "Why are you so _mean_? Gloating that you're done."

"Hey, at least I'm still here. I could leave now you know." That was indeed true. She sighed in defeat. He wasn't really being mean, she was just frustrated with the stupid papers. And he was in fact waiting for her when he was free to go.

"But…" He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "I guess it'd go a lot faster if I helped you."

For the next two hours, Ichigo managed to get through the enormous stack of papers with the help of a genius at hand. That is – Ryou had been reading through all the papers, explained to her what it said, and then told her where to sign.

"I'm DONE!" She squealed, utterly ecstatic. Without thinking, she mindlessly dropped her pen and wrapped both arms around Ryou's neck. "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!"

"Um." Ryou refused to meet her eyes, as a subtle shade of pink settled on his face, which Ichigo in no way missed. Catching herself, she immediately pulled away, ears and tail popping in place.

"Let's go drop by Ms. Sukai's office before we leave." The blond managed to say. With that, the two partners in showcase paid a visit to their manager, who offered them a ride back to the entrance of the park. Gratefully accepting, they were sent back in the same ostentatiously long limousine.

"Remember to call when you guys are free for a week." Sukai-san said from inside the car. Before they drove away however, Ryou slipped his hand by the opening of the window. "We're out of school for winter break next week."

"Oh yeah!" Ichigo had said cheerfully, as she had completely forgotten. But her cheerfullness soon gave way to disappointment. "But my parents are gonna be gone that week on vacation." She groaned. Was her idolhood going to suffer just because her mom had bribed her dad from killing her not so perfect boyfriend?

"Oh, even better. I'll see you guys at the beginning of next week." Sukai-san said with an evil glint in her eye before she was driven away.

Ichigo stood at the entrance of the park, still thinking about her manager's words. How was that even better? And why did those words send a chill down her spine?

"Hurry up, strawberry." She heard Ryou call from ahead of her. Although, why did she need to follow him? It was evening and starting to get late. She had to be heading home.

He rolled his eyes at her. "If that voice in your head is telling you to go home," She jumped up at his eerily accurate words. "…then you should ignore it. You're coming with me."

"N-Nani?" What was he up to, inviting her there so late at night? And why did her darn ears have to pop up now?

"You're normal clothes, baka." She looked down at her glamorous dress. She had completely forgotten. Without another word, Ichigo walked over beside the impatiently waiting blond and walked through the park with him towards the café.

It was a little awkward, walking with Ryou in matching attire so late at night. The night sky shimmered with stars that were usually invisible outside the darkness of the park. She could hear the soft patter of his footsteps beside her; for some reason, it made her heart thump a little louder than she would have liked.

She settled her gaze on the ground, thinking over the events of that day. Ryou in his sleek tuxedo causing her heart to skip a beat, his gentle touch as he removed the bell from her neck and brought it to her hair, his patience in helping her through all the blasted paperwork and their sudden friendship. The blond really had the capacity to be kind. His sweetness made her heart beat erratically, something she couldn't explain. And the simple touch of his fingers on her chin caused her heart to almost explode. No, it wasn't simply attraction as she had always told herself it was. It was …something else, though she couldn't quite place her finger on it. Her sudden nervousness around Ryou was a little like what she felt with Masaya...

She shook her head to chase away the thought. Well it wasn't exactly like how it was with Massaya. With Masaya, it had always been sweet, caring and loving. He was always there, reliable and dependable, trying to help when she was in trouble. It was just plain sweet – the kind of sweetness that just gave you a toothache from being so excessively sugary; that is, right up until she had her first fight with him. But even then, she reasoned that the argument would just blow over in time no matter how angry they had been when they parted. It would just be one of those obstacles every couple goes through, like a bad memory.

Boy was she wrong.

"MASA—" She couldn't even finish saying the simple three syllables of her boyfriend's name, so shocked as she was at the scene before her. Sure her boyfriend had been angry at her, but this, _this_ was inexcusable.

_Her _Masaya with another girl, sitting on _their_ bench. The bench where they shared so many memories, the bench where they shared their dreams, the bench where they met when they first started dating- the very same bench they still often visited. It was being defiled by the presence of _another girl_. Another girl, whom her dear Masaya was currently holding.

"What?" She mildly heard Ryou's low voice beside her. She suddenly jumped as she was reminded that he was still present. Ichigo grabbed onto his arm, trying to pull him away.

"Uh- L-let's go this way." Her voice was trembling. The last thing she needed was for someone to witness her foolishness at being the girl who was played. _Played._ She winced at the horrible word.

Ryou was watching her, and she knew that he had not missed her sudden cringe. Ichigo shut her eyes tight. The stubborn blond wasn't moving. God, why wouldn't he just listen? Then she could walk away and pretend nothing happened. Nothing happened. If she kept her eyes closed, maybe it was just all a bad dream…

"Oh that little bastard is going to pay…" Ryou snarled ferociously. He shrugged off her arms, stomping his way towards a certain tree-hugger's absolute death.

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Opinions please! Hoping to make next chapter interesting ;)

Just curious, but do you guys prefer the next chapter to be written from Ryou's point of view or from Ichigo's?

In Ryou's point of view, it'll be focused on what he's thinking (ie. just plain pissed at masaya, sad for ichigo, etc.). Of course, i'll have Ichigo talk so we have an idea what's going on in her head too and then I'd probably have the chapter after that follow up with ichigo's take on the whole situation. It would strengthen Ryou's feelings for Ichigo to the reader. Ichigo will also seem much more shocked and confused

If it's from ichigo's point of view, it'll be about her reaction to Ryous' actions as it's happening. So mostly her working out confused feelings, wondering why ryou is acting the way he is.

maybe I'll try to combine the two...

also, should I continue with the rest of the story alternating between the two, or just focusing on one character (which would probably make the final confession more dramatic)


	18. Poke! Is he uh, dead?

So the climax of the story is finally here! Well, sort of.

**3+ reviews before the next update**! Hope you guys enjoy the read.

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**Chapter 18****: Poke! Is he...dead?!**

Her silky red hair flowed freely from her head, down her shoulders and finally rested on her bare neck. Ryou had never seen Ichigo with her hair down until today. She looked so unlike the usual strawberry he knew, so thoughtful as her eyes shimmered in the moonlight.

Blue-eyed Ryou walked beside his favorite strawberry in silence as they made their way through the park. They had just returned from their first visit to Aurora Co., the headquarters of the largest empire of famous models, actors and singers in Tokyo. Their manager had given them a tour around the building, allowing them to watch other idols at work; that was their future job, after all. The day was finally over as they two had managed to struggle through a stack of paperwork, and the darkness of night had taken over, forcing them to depart from the strange world of idolhood.

The blond watched Ichigo carefully as they made their way back to the café to pick up her normal clothes. He was quite unused to her contemplating look; it seemed like something was troubling her or at least she was thinking over some serious thoughts. He slid his hands into his pockets, wanting to say something to her, but being unable to find the words.

"MASA – " He heard suddenly, as he watched the redhead open her mouth to gasp. She held her hand in front of her gaping mouth, eyes starting to water at the scene before her.

"What?" He began to say, somewhat rudely as he was suddenly brought away from his thoughts, though he hadn't intended it to come out that way. Ryou turned to focus on where Ichigo's eyes were settled.

They were sitting at the bench – the bench where Ichigo and her annoying boyfriend often met (though how Ryou knew this fact he would never admit). It was that dark-haired bastard, wrapping his arms around another girl.

"Uh- L-let's go this way." He heard her voice trembling and he felt his precious strawberry wince. Her eyes were shut tight, as if she could deny what she had just seen. Even if she could, there was no way Ryou Shirogane could forget. He could in no way, forget the sudden wrenching pain in his heart when he felt the redhead cringe.

"Oh that little bastard is going to pay…" Ryou snarled ferociously. He shrugged off her arms, stomping his way towards the traitorous wuss that he had given too much credit to. The guy whom he had left Ichigo's happiness to more than a year ago. The guy who dared to trample on her heart like she meant nothing at all.

"That damn bastard…" The blond seethed through his teeth as he approached the sickening scene, thinking of the most torturous ways possible to make Aoyama suffer. The girl who remained smiling contently within the dark-haired boy's arms suddenly looked up at the approaching figure, breaking away from Masaya's hug. She looked beyond the handsome Ryou, and saw a glamorously dressed girl with the looks to match her clothes.

"Masaya, Masaya!" She said in a hushed voice, signaling for Ichigo's boyfriend to turn around. "Are they movie stars?"

"What are you talking about Natsuke-chan?" He asked blankly as his back remained facing the fuming Ryou.

"Oh my god, oh my god! I think that hot actor's coming this way!" She squealed in excitement. Masaya gave a brief sigh before turning around to face the the supposed 'hot' actor.

**BAM! **Right into Ryou's speeding fist.

"You little cheating twit!" Ryou violently grabbed onto Masaya's neat shirt, almost choking him with the amount of pressure he used to tug at his collar with his two hands. Oh how they itched to wrap themselves around that fragile little neck of the conniving boyfriend.

"AHH!" The girl beside Masaya screamed as she suddenly jumped aside. No sooner had she jumped aside, did she scamper away from the scene, not even taking a second look at the bleeding Masaya with his broken nose.

The raging blond looked at the stupified Masaya and raised his right arm for another hit, while he continued to pin him against the back of the bench with his other hand. "You stupid stupid bastard." He snarled threateningly. "You _idiot_!"

Masaya looked up at him, dazed and very much dizzy at the sharp pain that came with the snap of his nose. "Wh—?" He voiced weakly, trying to make sense of the situation.

"YOU…" **BAM! **A direct hit at his guts, as Masaya keeled over, coughing out bile.

"JUST…" **POW! **A blow to the face, and a bruised eye.

"STAY QUIET" **CRACK! **Masaya's jaw just broke. Ryou released him from his grip, allowing the injured traitorous creep to fall onto the floor. His dark hair covered his expression of pain, but Ryou was certain that no amount of pain he had given him was anywhere close to what Ichigo must be feeling now.

"Unfaithful cheating twerps like you shouldn't even be talking." The blond looked down at the figure kneeling on the ground, completely disgusted. "Get the hell up." He said coldly to him, no longer screaming though he was still fuming. "If you're a man, you'll get the hell up right now." Ryou glared at the Aoyama who still did not meet his eyes, but only continued to remain motionless on the floor, clutching his stomach.

"Fight back you wuss" The blond spat the words. "You're making me feel almost guilty for beating you up so badly."

The dark-haired figure only just barely propped himself from the floor with his hands and knees, coughing up a mix of blood and bile. He looked over at the redhead, who only watched the brawl in silence as her eyes gleamed with a hint of pain. "Ichigo…you" –cough cough— "don't understand." He managed to say between breaths.

"Don't you dare try to beg her for mercy you damn twit." Ryou watched the crawling Aoyama icily. That was low, going to Ichigo, and knowing her as the sweet natured girl that she was, she would probably give in too.

The redhead looked away from Masaya's pleading eyes and trembling voice as she bit down on her quivering lips. Ryou's extended arm kept her from running toward the figure on the ground.

"She was just a friend Ichigo!" Ryou heard his desperate voice as he turned away from the gutless Aoyama to face his strawberry. Strands of her strawberry hair hung limply over her pained eyes as she had continued to bite her lip so hard that it was now bleeding. The blond walked towards her, reaching at her face, wanting to wipe away the blood. He wanted to wrap his arms around her to support her trembling body and just as he approached her, her head suddenly shot up, eyes glazed over with a hardened look as she stared straight at her boyfriend. A look that Ryou had never seen her wear...

"A friend who called you by your first name?" She screamed, tears cascading down her cheeks though she fought the urge to sob. "A friend whom you called Natsuke-_chan_?!" She was walking up to him as he remained on his knees, silent. "MASAYA" she barked. "You've never even called _me_ Ichigo-_chan_ even if you were just friends with her." Ryou watched helplessly as she winced at her own words. After taking a few deep breaths, she finally sighed and bent beside the injured Masaya.

"It's okay Masaya." She whispered, as she helped him to his feet. Her boyfriend turned to her, eyes hopeful. Ryou watched in disbelief as she took out a handkerchief and offered it to the injured ebony haired treehugger.

"It's okay Masaya because it no longer concerns me." She flung away his hand coldly and walked away from him. "I hope you'll find happiness with someone else." Ryou watched as she walked back towards him, eyes streaming with tears she could not hold back. He sensed that she was fighting to steady her own body. The blond felt his stomach lurch at his utter uselessness, and ran towards the approaching girl.

"Ichigo…stay strong." He whispered gently to her, afraid that if he was any louder, she would collapse at his feet and start wailing. "He's not worth it. Show him that he's not worth it." His eyebrows furrowed up in concern, as he watched the redhead's dull eyes.

"Masaya" she spoke with her back still facing the figure on the ground. "I really do hope you'll find someone, because…" her voice was beginning to crack as Ryou reached over to hold her trembling hand. "Because I already have." She lied, grimacing at her words as she fell against Ryou's comforting chest. She felt so cold, skin as cold as ice, that he began to wonder whether she was shivering because of the cold weather, even though he knew the real reasons.

"Shh…it's okay now Ichigo. You did it. You did good." He wrapped his arms around the shaking girl, stroking her hair to comfort her.

Masaya watched helplessly as his ex-girlfriend dove into the arms of Ryou, her supposedly most reviled jerk. "SO NOW IT ALL COMES OUT…" he screamed after them as they began to walk away. "LIKE HELL I was cheating Ichigo! You were the one cheating all along and now you're just using this as an excuse to make it look like it was my fault!" He winced at the sharp pain at his jaw. It was growing warm as it gradually swelled up. "SHIROGANE you bastard. It's all your fault!"

"It's not worth it Ryou," she managed to mutter between her controlled sobs as she tightly grabbed his arm upon feeling his muscles tense up at Masaya's challenge. Ichigo rested both of her arms on his shoulders to stop him from turning to face the already injured Masaya, and was just in time to see…an eerily dark figure crawling toward them on the ground at an incredible speed. (_Just a side note but this is totally like the creepy girl from the ring._) He had picked up a rock…

"No!" She screamed, wrapping her arms protectively around the blond's head and shutting her eyes tight as Masaya raised it over his shoulders, ready to chuck the hard object at the back of Ryou's head.

**CRASH**! She opened her eyes to the sound, surprised to see Masaya lying flat against the ground. Ryou had pulled away from her, having been nuzzled quite cozily within her chest, cheeks tinted bright red as he turned to face the motionless figure.

"Uh…" He said awkwardly as he looked at the limp Masaya and the rock that rolled some distance off from his hand. "Is he … dead?" He reached over to grab a branch, and proceeded to poke the body.

"Wanna give it a try Ichigo? It's kind of fun." He passed on the stick to Ichigo, who shed no more tears, though her face was still wet from before.

Poke. Poke. Poke. "You're right. This _is_ fun." Her eyes glinted evilly.

"Ugh." They heard the body groan, before rolling over with a thud. "Oh good." Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief, though she was honestly enjoying herself earlier. "So you didn't kill him after all." She gave a strained chuckle, before her voice suddenly cracked. She felt a warm pair of hands on her face, wiping away her wet cheeks and turned her attention to the blue-eyed man who owned them. His eyes were shimmering with concern. The supposed jerk had feelings. Though this being the second time she realized it, it was not as surprising. Besides, this was the same guy who lost his cool to absolute rage for the first time ever. And over something that hadn't even concerned him.

Her eyes suddenly widened in realization. Ryou Shirogane had lost his calm composure because of _her_. He really was a kindhearted selfless guy after all. If something similar had happened to him, what would _she_ have done? (Turn into Mew Ichigo and kick some sorry ass?_:sorry, i just couldn't resist the comment:_) Could she claim to be just as kind as he was? "Oh god," she said as she stared into the depths of the concerned blue eyes "I've been an idiot."

She saw his eyes search through her own for the meaning behind her words. "I've had it all wrong all this time. How on Earth could I have thought you were a jerk?" He slipped his hands from her face and looked away, disappointed. Would a jerk beat the living daylights out of her cheating boyfriend? Well maybe, if the jerk didn't like the guy…which he didn't. But would a jerk support her trembling body and encourage her as she struggled with one of the most painful experiences in her life?

But she was an idiot for more than one reason, even if she wouldn't admit it out loud. The second reason, she was slowly coming to terms with...

Ichigo tightened her lips into a thin line, feeling sharp pains along her skin like pinches as she saw his face contort into a grimace. It was…unbearable, seeing one who was usually so empty now full of so much pain. She grabbed his shirt in silence, bringing one arm around his back as she pulled him into a hug. The redhead looked up at the dazed Ryou, whose expression had completely changed into one of shock. "I…" she began to speak as she dug her face into his shirt. "Ryou…" She looked up at him, noting the shimmering of his longing eyes. Then hiding her face once again, she spoke "…chan." Her voice was muffled in his shirt.

She didn't know what possesed her to do that, nor did she care. She just couldn't handle that distressed expression. Either way, _this_ was the guy who had been there for her all along. _This _was the guy who constantly sacrificed himself for her sake. Then, feeling the most gripping desire to kiss him _now_, she brought her hands to the back of his neck, pulling him down toward her face as she stared into his hungry eyes. She could almost taste him, her skin tingling at the thought of another incredible kiss. Who was she kidding? She hadn't just mindlessly accepted all those kisses, she had always wanted them. She had always wanted _him_.

But just as she was just millimeters from his soft lips, Ryou pushed her away. "Ichigo…" he whispered as she shot him an offended look, feeling a pang of pain in her chest. What so _he _could kiss her, but she couldn't do it back? Had he really only been teasing all those times when she had thought she felt something from him?

His eyes were glistening unsteadily. The blond gave a heavy sigh before continuing. "You're in a very frail state right now Ichigo. It's not right for me to – " He looked away from her, frowning as he began to walk off again.

"Kiss me Ryou." She pulled his hand, stopping him in place. He turned around, eyebrows furrowed. The redhead spoke seriously. "When we were at the company earlier, I was about to ask you to kiss me." He remained silent, but he made no motion to pull away from her hand.

"I was wondering why my kisses with you and Masaya were so different." She looked away, the bell in her hair jingled as her attention was suddenly brought to it. Reaching for her head, she pulled off the ribbon, and chucked the bell as far away as she could. Ryou only watched her in disbelief, his attention now completely hers.

"So kiss me Ryou and finish what we couldn't do before. Let me finally understand." Her voice was trembling slightly; she knew exactly what she was suggesting when she told him to kiss her, but at this moment, she didn't care.

"No."

"You…you don't want to?" Her eyes were blurring over with a new layer of tears as she felt her heart suddenly wrench in inexplicable pain.

"I…just can't." He wouldn't look at her as he finally pushed away her hand, walking ahead of her. "Listen Ichigo, you're only like this right now. You're still confused because of what just happened with Aoyama."

"No I'm not!" She screamed, running after him as she was beginning to get a little angry that he would suggest that she didn't even know how she felt.

"Look, I don't want to be the rebound guy Ichigo and I don't want you to regret anything tomorrow." He clenched his hands into fist.

"You…don't want to be with me?" Her bottom lip quivered as she bit down, waiting for his reply. She winced in pain at her bleeding lip. Of course how could she have said all those things just assuming that he had felt the same?

"No I don't. Not like this." He spat the words out harshly, storming towards the pink building that came to sight. She watched the figure fading into the distance, dumbstruck in place for a few minutes as she hugged her chest.

When he swung open the doors, Ichigo followed silently behind, eyes focused on the ground. She ran to the closet and grabbed her clothes without a word, before dashing back out to go home. _Played._ Then rejected. _Rejected_. All in a single day.

"Ichigo…" The low rumbled of Ryou's voice caused her to spin around, as she felt the minor tug at her arm. "It's late. I'm walking you home." He raised his hand to pet her fuzzy black ears, finally getting a response from the girl as she looked up at him blankly.

The walk to the Momomiya home was more awkward than their usual walks alone. Although Ryou was silently grateful that he was actually allowed to walk beside the redhead this time, he was completely at a loss of words – quite the rarity for him. He turned to look at the dazed girl, who suddenly paused in the middle of the street, eyes brimming with heavy tears. He fought the urge to wipe them away for her and to hold her tight to stop her trembling body. He couldn't possibly allow himself to take advantage now.

It was late, at least past 10 P.M. and Ryou was certain that her overprotective father was just about to call the police if he hadn't done so already. The blackness of night filled the streets; it was especially dark since the lampposts on Ichigo's block had died out.

"Ichigo…" he whispered, "Look up."

She mildly heard him speak, and brought her head to face the night sky. The sky shimmered with stars upon stars, shining over them with the beautiful lights of the cosmos. They were sprinkled upon the velvety night like glitter, some glowing more brightly than others, creating an intricate web of constellations.

"Ichigo, without the darkness, how could we see something so beautiful?" A thoughtful expression hung on his normally uncaring face. "Just think, we are so blinded by the sun during the day, that all the infinite stars of the universe remain utterly invisible." She sighed. Was he talking about Masaya? Because she had long seen past his blinding image of perfection and it wasn't at all the reason why her tears fell now. She shifted her gaze away from the exhilarating sight, as she began to walk ahead without her clueless partner.

"On cloudy nights when we can only see the moon, it might seem like the most beautiful thing in the sky. How can we truly appreciate the glow of the moon if there's nothing in else in the sky to compare to? If we don't take the time to look at the sky on another night, we'd miss this view." Ryou continued speaking, fully aware that Ichigo was walking away. She groaned at his words as she continued to storm away, rubbing her exhausted head. She really wasn't up for this nonsensical talk.

"Whatever jerk." She snapped, as her body involuntarily shivered at the cold wind. God he was talking in riddles, like those old Chinese sayings connecting nature to everyday life in the most obscure ways possible. And he wasn't even Chinese! _Or_ Japanese. He was friggin goddamn English trying to pull off one of those old man sayings.

"Arg." she ruffled her hair violently, further annoyed by the touch of her fuzzy ears. She settled her hands back around her sleeveless arms, with her bag of clothes hanging from one hand. Why hadn't she remembered to change?

She groaned. That's right, she was too busy trying to get as far away as Ryou as possible. Unfortunately for her, he had somehow managed to tag along even afterwards. The last thing she needed was to have him around after that confusing mess of a situation.

Feeling the weight of Ryou's heavy black jacket, she turned around. He was walking quietly beside her; she hadn't even noticed when he had gotten there as she was so distracted by her own thoughts. He placed a hand on her cheek, wiping away her face which was wet. Ichigo took a step back from his touch, a little surprised having been oblivious to her tears. Was it possible to cry when she was so angry? Angry at Masaya for leaving her…angry at Ryou for rejecting her? It really seemed like no one wanted her at all. Was she just some pathetic girl clinging on to anyone she could get her hands on? Maybe she really had only gone to the blond for comfort.

"ICHIGO!" growled a man at the entrance of her house. It was none other than Shintaro Momomiya, her overprotective father who had indeed called the police, only to be rudely ignored for the 24th time that he had called to report his daughter missing. "Get away from that BOY!" He shrieked, voice cracking unpleasantly into a tone similar to the screeches of an old woman.

Shintaro glared at the blond, who remained quite calm as he just began to pull away his hand from his precious daughter's face. "You made her CRY?!" His eyes sprang to life with a new burst of flames.

But Ryou only turned toward him, to give him a slight bow before speaking. "Nice to meet you sir." Ichigo wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, as she stared at the blond incredulously. Who knew that he could be so polite?

"The feeling is NOT mutual." Her father glowered at the blond strands of golden hair of the bowing Ryou and then proceeded to stick his tongue out at him. Like father like daughter…

"Dad," Ichigo rolled her eyes at him. "It wasn't him. It was …Masaya." Her vision began blurring over once again, with newly formed tears.

"My name is Ryou Shirogane." He continued to speak as Shintaro raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "Unfortunately, I took care of that problem."

"Huh, unfortunately?" Her father couldn't help but be curious at his words.

"That is, Aoyama. I'm very sorry to have resorted to violence." Shintaro's eyes widened at what he heard, as his lips gave way to a slight grin. He never really liked that Aoyama anyhow.

The redhead slipped off the jacket and handed it to Ryou before running towards her father. "DAD!" she cried as she opened her arms to him for the first time in years. "MASAYA" -- _sob sob_-- "CHEATED ON ME!" She was bawling, now that she was finally within her father's arms.

"WHAT?!" And now he knew why he never liked him. He had always sensed something was off with that boy. No boy in his right mind would do that to his daughter. Because any boy who did was in for far more than a bloody nose.

"I'm sorry I didn't leave much for you to take care of." Ryou couldn't help but smirk, though it wasn't as if anyone could see as his head was still facing the ground in his polite bow. "He is now sprawled somewhere across the floor of the park." Ichigo's father watched the blond with interest, though he was just a tad bit annoyed that he personally never got to lay a finger on that traitorous twerp.

Ichigo rubbed her wet eyes with her father's shirt, as he brought one hand to pat her comfortingly on the head. She only managed to say between sobs. "Please"--_sob sob--_ "…don't…report…it to the police!" She wailed, wondering what had made the genius Ryou so idiotic in admitting to that crime of violence.

"Why would I do that?" Her father stared at her in disbelief. "That twerp had it coming. If Shirogane-san here hadn't done it, I would've. And he would have been in much worse shape too! That Aoyama should be thankful Shirogane-sane came along!" He chuckled heartily, patting Ichigo on the back.

Tears forgotten as she stared at her father in utter surprise, Ichigo drew away from her father. "Well um. I'm not so sure about that." She twiddled her thumb nervously. "But we made sure that he was still alive after poking him with a stick!" She quickly explained herself, trying to defend the vicious beating her ex-boyfriend had received.

Her father raised both eyebrows, as he suddenly choked on his own saliva. Then beaming, he turned to the humble Ryou. "GOOD MAN, I say. GOOD MAN!" He looked like he was about to cry from happiness. "Finally someone worthy appears!" He jumped up, knees slightly bent as he pointed at Ryou in excitement.

Ichigo took this opportunity to make a quick escape, as she had only just come to realize that her dad would soon see her clothes which she had specifically gone to the café to change out of but had forgotten, and slipped from under Shintaro's arms.

"You're always welcome here!" She heard him call after the retreating Ryou as he waved cheerfully after him. She quietly climbed up the stairs, mildly hearing her father continue in his jolly tone. "What a nice young man. Reminds me of that sweet Alto we just adopted. Where'd that cat go anyhow?"

This was her chance. Her dad always entered his own dreamworld at the mention of Alto, that oh-just-too-perfect kitten. She dashed up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door shut behind her and locking it. Breathless by the little excursion, she plopped onto her bed, dead tired from the day's events. Maybe she'd wake up only to find that this was just a horrible nightmare.

Maybe not.

* * *

Okay, so I got to write everything I wanted to for this chapter, but for some reason, I'm not entirely satisfied with the writing style. Mehh...it was supposed to come out better than this. I did however enjoy that whole poking scene, which only came to me as I was writing this.

This chapter ended up being a combination of both of their points of views...maybe that's why i felt it was a little awkward.

But goodness, am I relieved that I _finally_ got rid of Masaya. You must all hate me for having taken so long! I don't blame you though since it was starting to get on _my _nerves too.

I was trying to keep Masaya in character, like his normal nice self, but I just couldn't standd them being together. :X

FYI, I don't hate Masaya at all. I just hate the fact that he's with Ichigo.


	19. Hospital Visit

Dear readers,

This story is approaching the end finally! (I'd say about 1-3 chapters) I was actually planning on incorporating another part, but it would really make this story too long. Maybe I'll just make a separate story about their training in teamwork, which includes the two being chained together for a week!

Another reason I'm ending this soon, is because I've found that this has gotten harder to write. But anywho, thanks for staying with me for so long. Enjoy the read! **5+ reviews for the next update**!

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**Chapter 19****: Hospital Visit**

Bright cheery rays of sunlight streamed onto the pink and white checkered floor of Ichigo's carpeted room, despite the approaching winter. The red-haired girl lay still on her fluffy pink bed, only slightly turning her head towards the window. The trees were bare and she saw the empty branches swaying with the invisible wind.

She let out a shallow breath as her arms hugged a pillow positioned at her chest. It was comforting to hold it so close to herself; the sensation of the soft plushy pillow felt familiar. Her lips tightened into a thin line as a memory flashed in her mind.

She had been in this same room, holding onto the pillow protectively in front of her as she was heading straight into the window. That voice echoed through the moment of dark panic; it had cast away the surrounding shadows as she suddenly found herself on the floor with a very sore behind. And there was that figure, the source of that voice…

Ichigo turned to her side, back facing her closet as she stared out the window. No, she couldn't allow herself to continue her thoughts otherwise they would lead to…

She brought her right hand to her mouth, fingers lightly tracing her moist lips that had loosened and parted during her recollection. "Ryou…" she whispered quietly. Her russet eyes widened as she immediately cupped her trailing hand securely over her mouth.

"Ichigo, are you still sleeping?" It was her mother's voice, laced with concern. "It's already two o'clock in the afternoon!"

The redhead barely moved at the sound of the distant voice. Her eyes were wide open, but she was still lost in her own world.

"Why don't you go out and play, honey?" Sakura Momomiya called to her listless daughter once again. "There won't be such nice weather in awhile."

Ichigo's eyes focused on the scene outside her window, until they unexpectedly settled on the thin hair-line crack that only seemed to grow bigger and bigger each time she looked at it. She groaned at the sight, forcing herself to look beyond the battle-scarred window that had received its injury in its fight against Ichigo's head.

The sky…yes, she could distract herself with the endless sky. Or so the girl thought until she noted its beautiful azure color, exactly like the eyes of a certain blond she knew, the eyes that contained as much depth as the infinite sky. She gulped, choking back tears. Why did the sky have to be blue?

"Ichigo," her mother cried once again, wondering if her daughter had heard her at all. "Why don't I go bring you to visit Aoyama? He's still in the hospital right?" Her voice was cheerful; she of course had no idea of what had happened, calling her husband absolutely delusional with jealousy when he had told her that their dear daughter had broken up with the love of her life. But she forgave him for his ridiculous lies since she only knew too well of his love for Ichigo.

"Ichigo." The speaker had found herself in front of her daughter's room. It was no surprise she found the door locked upon attempting to turn the resistant doorknob. "Ichigo Momomiya!" The kind voice of Sakura was now transformed into a severe tone as the redhead's mother placed both hands on her hips at the image of the closed door before her and barked. "I've had enough of this! You haven't left the house for two days ever since you came back that late night. You've called in sick for work two days in a row, and you've barely had one meal a day! You said you had a new job as an idol and you've done nothing but lazing around! I've never seen an 'idol' so…so dull! So you get your butt out here this instant!"

"Sakura" Shintaro placed two hands on his wife's shoulders. "Now, now, let her be."

"NO!" she snapped, causing him to retreat behind their bedroom door. Sakura rarely yelled, but when she did… He trembled slightly at the thought.

"Ichigo, you get your butt downstairs in 15 minutes. I don't care what you say, you need to get out of the house. We are going to visit that Aoyama of yours!"

Shintaro peeped through the door a little more, his head raised at those words. "Honey, I don't think that's a good idea. I've _told_ you already. Ichigo finally broke up with that traitorous bastard."

Sakura glared at him, as he hurriedly slipped back into their bedroom. "That boy, cheat?! Enough with your stories, Ichigo is coming with me and that is THAT!"

"FINE!" The redhead screamed in utter exasperation as her head finally shot up from the pillow she had used to muffle the sounds of her mother's voice. It really did no good to resist an angry Sakura Momomiya.

"See?" Sakura turned to Ichigo's father with a sweet smile on her face, completely reverted back to her usual self. "And it'll be good for her, maybe even cheer her up."

"Okay, but I'm coming too." Shintaro stepped out, his face clearly revealing his utter disapproval of the situation. Although at the very next moment, his eyes glinted at a new idea.

"No, no, no. You are not to lay one hand on that boy." Sakura stated as she observed his change in expression. She swept a hand in the air, shooing him away as the dejected man curled into a ball.

* * *

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Ichigo walked miserably beside her mother, hearing only the soft patter of her footsteps as she trudged after her in silence. Eyes twitching, the agitated redhead finally spoke.

"How is today a nice day? It's absolutely freezing!" She rubbed her shivering arms.

"What are you talking about Ichigo?" Her mother stopped walking, turning around to face her. Then she continued speaking, before once again walking ahead. "It's such a beautiful day. The sun is bright, the skies are blue, and the air is crisp. Now stop moping around and cheer up."

"Pfft." The brightly lit sky was deceptive. Even if it looked like the perfect day from inside, it really was no warmer than any winter afternoon. The redhead grumbled incoherently to herself. She really was easily deceived wasn't she, that even the world outside would want to trick her. She closed her eyes, feeling the icy wind sting at her skin. Recalling a very recent pain that felt similar, her eyes began blurring up with tears. But that might have just been because her eyes had been stinging with the blow of the biting wind. The harsh invisible entity flew forcefully past her ears, as the chaotic turbulence breathed a single word she thought she heard: _rejected._

She spun around, looking for the hidden speaker, but there was no one behind her. She returned her gaze to the image of her mother's back and mumbled thoughtlessly. "You think you've found warmth outside when you see the sun, but when you're actually out here, reality hits you. There's no warmth here at all."

She paused midstep, actually hearing what she had carelessly said out loud. Was she thinking of Masaya when she had said that, or Ryou? The sun, the blinding sun — that was Masaya, and just when she thought she could love him, he did not return it; but even when she thought that, she was only reminded of Ryou's riddling speech. Ryou, her previous jerk of a boss, who had led her to almost believe he cared. Right up until she was so moved by his apparent kindness, that she had forgotten he was a jerk. An absolute creep for tricking her into developing some sort of feelings for him.

Ichigo dug her face into her two hands; she couldn't have _feelings_ for him, because it was clear to her that he didn't return those feelings. All this time, all those kisses, everything he had done, it was all lie. Just like this sunny winter day.

No. It wasn't that she couldn't, it was that she _didn't_. The girl wiped off her tears and brushed away the strands of ruby hair that were plastered onto her wet face. The answer was simple. All she had to do was tell Ryou that it had all been a joke. She just had to take it back and ask him to pretend that nothing had happened at all. She just had to act like him and play off everything as a meaningless joke. Ichigo's eyes glazed over with a hardened look, losing their normal intensity. Her eyebrows were slanted inwards as her once shining eyes gave way to dullness.

"Excuse me. We're here to see Masaya Aoyama." Her mother's voice brought her back to reality as Ichigo looked up to find herself surrounded by the bleak white walls of the hospital, very much confused as to why she was here. Sakura was leaning over the counter as she spoke to a nurse.

Ichigo listened uneasily to the light tapping against the keyboard as the nurse looked up his room number on the computer. "That'll be room 112." The woman seated before the computer stood up, pointing towards a pair of doors that suddenly flung open as a doctor stepped out. "Walk straight through those double doors and take a left. It'll be the second room down."

"MASAYA?" The redhead finally cried after having walked some distance with her mother, only a few minutes late from noticing. That name hadn't fully registered in her mind even when she had heard her mother's voice earlier. She felt her mother's hand against her shoulder.

Sakura let a sigh escape her mouth. "Yes dear." She patted Ichigo lightly. "We're visiting Aoyama-san as I've already told you only about ten times now." Her sweet daughter was just a little clueless at times, though Sakura fondly recalled how in her youth, she had been the same.

Ichigo stared up at her contemplating mother, absolutely appalled. "W-What? When did I agree to this?!" Sputtering, she grabbed onto her mothers hand with two of her own, trying to wear the most pitiful expression she could manage as she caught her ignorant mother's attention. But Sakura only looked down blankly before speaking.

"Don't be silly Ichigo. I know you've been wanting to see him. You haven't been like your normal self for these past few days when you weren't with him." Ichigo glared at her smiling mother. It really was her own fault though as she never took the time to explain to her overly supportive mother.

"What ever it is, you two need to straighten things out." Sakura pushed open the double doors, holding it for Ichigo to pass through.

The redhead groaned, entirely repulsed by the situation which she had caused herself. She followed her mother who took a sharp left, as the waiting area at the end of the hall came to sight.

Perhaps it was time to finally let her mom know; Ichigo had only avoided it for so long because she could not bring herself to talk about it. She was still in shock that her all time perfect boyfriend could do something like that, though truthfully, she had been dealing with the situation fairly well. Sure she was upset, but she just hadn't really thought about it lately. Ichigo wasn't as heartbroken as she had expected to be; but maybe that was because she had been dealt with enough shock on the very first night she found out.

Rather, the dazed Ichigo had been distracted by thoughts of a certain blue-eyed boss. She shook her head violently, as strands of ruby hair swayed from side to side. Her eyes turned dull as she clung onto her mother's sleeve, determined to finally allow her to understand what had happened. "Mom – actually" she began to say, but Sakura had lightly brushed off her arm with her free hand, motioning for Ichigo to pass through the door she had suddenly stopped in front of.

"This is it Ichigo, room 112." Her mother's voice was kind and reassuring. "Don't be afraid, just work things out. I'll be in the waiting room if you need me." Leaving the pale Ichigo to stare dumbly at the door, she walked leisurely towards cushioned seats and dark green couches of the cozy waiting room.

The redhead took a deep breath. Despite whatever had happened, she still cared about Masaya. They had, in fact spent a whole year together and they shared fond memories within that time. Since she was here anyway, she might as well take a look to see how he was doing. Ichigo winced at the sudden flash of memory, when Masaya had been sprawled helplessly on the floor, dripping blood. It had seemed like sweet justice at the time, to see her cheating boyfriend beaten into a bloody pulp, but now that she was thinking it over, she should have at least gotten him some help before leaving. She slowly reached for the doorknob, gradually turning it clockwise as a feeling of guilt weighed down her chest.

"Masaya?" she whispered upon entering the quiet room. She covered her mouth catching herself. Ichigo could no longer call him that considering the things that had happened. She had to cut off all ties to him cleanly, and it began with her casual way of addressing him – as if they were _close_.

She peeped her head through the thin cloth draped around his bed, walking cautiously as she mentally screamed at her shoes for tapping against the ground so loudly. Ichigo tried to relax her tense muscles, though she didn't know why she was nervous. It wasn't as if she still had any feelings left for the guy right?

"Ichi- " she heard his muffled whisper, before finally the bandaged Masaya came into view. His nose was bandaged as was his bottom jaw. The skin around his left eye displayed a greenish blue tinge of discoloration. The sight sent a slight sensation of pain to the girl, who now held an arm protectively around her heavy chest.

"I-I'm sorry." Ichigo whispered as the scene of the injured figure before her blurred. The dark-haired Masaya motioned for her to sit beside the bed.

Sitting on the bright orange plastic chair that was placed next to Masaya, the dull eyes of Ichigo settled on the table to his right, conveniently within his reach. There was a blank notepad and a pencil on it, but her eyes continued shifting until they focused on a large array of flowers. Probably from that girl – what's her face – Natsuke?

She heaved a heavy sigh, eyes finally meeting her ex-boyfriend's as he had reached over for the notepad and pencil and proceeded to scribble on it. The chill atmosphere sent goosebumps over her skin, as she watched him in awkward silence. The hospital was suitably heated; it was her own state of mind that caused her to rub her hands against her arms to smooth out the bumps.

Masaya, having finished writing, turned the notepad to face the uneasy girl. She stared at the wide-ruled yellow page blankly, jaw dropping as she wondered if his injuries had affected his mind as well.

It read: -_Thanks for telling Shirogane to bring me here_.-

Ichigo closed her mouth before opening it again to speak. "Ryou brought you to the hospital?"

After wincing at her mention of 'Ryou,' he nodded. Then flipping the notepad again, she heard the scratches of the pencil tip against the paper. He turned it to face her again. Beneath the first line, were two words: -_That night_.-

Ichigo's dull eyes flickered for just a brief moment, as a portion of the burden at her chest was lifted. So Masaya hadn't been left completely helpless in the middle of the night and as much as she hated to admit it, since it made it even harder to hate him, Ryou really was a sweet guy. To think that she hadn't even gotten Masaya any help afterwards, while Ryou was the one to bring him to the hospital; Ryou was probably a better person than her.

"I didn't tell him to." She looked away from Masaya, after catching a sudden drop in his expression. Feeling a light breeze, she looked up to see him swinging his notepad to get her attention.

-_What about the flowers?-_

"What _about_ the flowers?" Ichigo stood up, chair shoved back behind her. Was he trying to bring up that girl now when they were having a civil conversation? It was bad enough that he cheated and now he was trying to gloat about it?

His eyebrows furrowed at her words. Scribble, scribble. _–Shirogane says you're not dating.-_

Oh god, was he really just trying to gloat some more now, just because he had someone and _she _didn't? Ichigo stood still, glaring at him as her hands clenched into tight fists. She had really intended to make amends with the guy even though she didn't have to at all, considering _he_ had been the one at fault.

Scribble, scribble. _–Natsuke was a close friend. That's why I called her –chan. She's in the SAEI (Students Addressing Environmental Issues) club with me. And I only hugged her because she was going through some problems.-_

He reached for her hand to get her attention. His eyes looked almost hopeful.

_I still love you Ichigo, my koneko-chan. _

Ichigo stared at the words, as she stirred slightly. Had it all been just a huge misunderstanding? She felt him tugging at her hand, signaling for her to sit back down. He raised his bed a little more with his other hand, trying to meet her gaze.

The redhead looked at him as uncontrollable tears began to well up. She felt a wrenching pain in her stomach. She had let poor Masaya take such a beating over a misunderstanding. It was painful to watch him like this, because after everything, she really did care about him. They had been through so much together; they had shared their dreams with each other.

"I- " She looked down at his hand, hair covering the pained expression of her eyes. No, Masaya hadn't betrayed her. _She _was the one who betrayed him.

She felt his warm hand wipe away her tears. It only made the agonizing pain even worse as she prepared herself for what she was about to do.

"—love you" she choked out as she suddenly pushed away his hand from her face. She mildly heard the soft creak at the door. Ichigo immediately spun around to look at the entrance, but there was no one there.

Masaya pulled her in with the hand that still held hers, bringing her next to his face, but she looked away. "As a friend, Masaya." She whispered into his ear as she felt his grip loosen. Ichigo gently gave him a kiss on the forehead and drew away. "This is goodbye." She whispered as she made her way out the door, leaving behind a very dazed Masaya.

Once outside, her hand rested behind herself on the doorknob, as she clung onto her chest to settle the loud thumping. Ichigo turned her head towards the waiting room, where her mother was watching her curiously.

Then suddenly realizing something, she turned her head to the opposite direction. If that hadn't been her mother at the door earlier, who was it?

"Ichigo!" Her mother waved to her as she approached the redhead. "You're boss is a bit strange ne?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I saw him walking into the room with flowers and some bags, but he rushed out in the very next moment." Sakura placed a finger against her cheek thoughtfully.

Ichigo's eyes widened as a sudden sharp pain dug into her chest. She clutched her hands protectively over herself, gasping for breath.

"You okay, honey?" Her mother looked at her with concern.

"I- I gotta go. You go home first." Ichigo screamed as she had already dashed down the hallway to go after a certain blond-haired boss.

* * *

Yay! Ichigo is actually going after him, and she finally _finally_ realizes she has a thing for him.

Comments? Suggestions? Is there anything you'd like to happen specifically?


	20. Heaven's Tears

Woot woot an update

Hi all! Thanks for the support and reviews! I'm really glad to hear from you. The reviews really helped me understand what you guys thought of the story. **THANK YOU** for helping me reach 50 reviews! WOOt woOT! You totally rock my socks!

This story could have been finished in this chapter, but taking the advice from one of the reviewers saying how I should show Ryou's point of view too, I decided to split this into three chapters...and possibly an epilogue. Th epilogue is probably going to act as an intro to a new story though ;)

I decided to do this because this story was originally going to end with ichigo's point of view. Anyway, this chapter is written in Ichigo's point of view. The next one will be in Ryou's and the final chapter will be a combination of both, though probably more focused on Ichigo.

**Read and review**! **5+ reviews before the next update!** If you'd prefer a certain style (like whether the rest of the chapters should be written in just Ichigo's pov, Ryou's pov or both), please let me know.

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**Chapter 20: Heaven's Tears**

She ran as she dashed blindly forward, toward an imaginary figure long gone.

The white fluffy clouds of the once bright sky merged together into wisps of a thin blanket, blocking the cheery sun.

And ran, as she gasped for the air her exhausted muscles screamed for.

The once azure blue of the beautiful sky transformed into dull gray; dark foreboding silvery wisps spread across the heavens.

And ran as she prayed desperately that the figure who had always stood strong and supportive for her, the man who had always watched her from the shadows, her blond-haired Ryou who had always shielded her from harm, to continue to do so.

But that figure was disappearing.

She reached her arm out in front of her, trying to grasp at the elusive shadow of the man she thought she saw. The forming tears blurred the path ahead of her as she continued to run.

There was a low rumble in the ominous sky, calling forth the menacing crash of thunder as a sharp flash of lightning pierced the heavens. And then there was rain.

She was running out of breath and her lungs were screaming for her to stop. Her heart was about to burst from overexertion, but she forced herself to keep going and willed herself forward.

Ryou. Her mind was focused on him only. What she would do when she found him, she wasn't sure, but she was certain that no matter what, she had to catch up to him. He had been her pillar of strength and she hadn't even known. That was, until the figure from the shadows began drawing away from her. It was only then that she understood.

She understood that she had never really known what love was until now.

Ichigo's feet splashed into an ankle deep puddle on the path in front of the glass doors of the hospital entrance. Her once beautiful strands of ruby hair now clumped into a dirty dark red as they remained pasted onto her wet face. The pathway before her was gray and fogged by the downpour of heavy rain except for a light-haired figure, whose head was now a dusty dull tan rather than its normal golden glow.

_It was him._

"RYOU!" Her voice was fighting over the sounds of rolling thunder. He stopped suddenly only to continue walking a moment later.

"RYOU!" He kept walking, left hand clasping tightly at the plastic bag as his right clung onto the bouquet of flowers.

Ichigo was bent over, hand on her chest as she heaved for air. But this was no time for that.

She dashed forward, just a little more and maybe he would hear her. She continued her running as determination pulsed through her body. She had to get more than close enough for him to hear her.

The figure, tall and proud as ever, was growing larger and larger as her legs brought her closer. Then, just as she was about to collapse on the floor, she managed to grab at the back of his shirt.

Ryou turned around at the tug; his expression was blank, but his eyes shimmered with an unreadable emotion. Clear streams of liquid cascaded down his face. Whether it was the rain or tears, she couldn't tell. "Yes Strawberry?"

She winced at his icy tone, as she was kneeling in back of him, knees pressing into the rough pavement. The redhead noticed that he made no motion to help her up and felt a sharp pain tug at her chest. "I…uh…" What had she wanted to say? What _could_ she say?

"Well, if that's it, I'll be heading home first." He pushed her hand from his shirt, taking a step forward as the girl continued kneeling.

"About what you saw…" she began to speak, arm reaching forward to grasp at his wet shirt once again.

"It's okay strawberry. You've made your choice." She looked up at the figure who would not face her, whose voice seemed to tremble just slightly as he struggled to fight the quivering. So it was him at the door. He turned ever so slightly, but did not meet her gaze. He took a gulp before he spoke. "And don't bother coming back to work."

"No I – " But before she could finish, Ryou had dashed away, throwing both the flowers and bag aside. "RYOU!" She saw him run toward the black motorcycle he had parked just a distance off as she hurriedly scrambled to her feet to catch up. He had gotten quite the head start when she managed to rise from the ground. He was already mounting the bike as she forced herself to endure the pain of her bleeding knees.

"NO RYOU!" she screamed after him as the thunderous sky roared. "You misunderstood!" Ichigo slumped back to the ground, watching helplessly as the figure sped away. What was it that she needed to say to him? Had she even worked that out herself yet? All she knew at the moment was that he had horribly misunderstood what had happened between her and Masaya—Masaya, whom she now clearly knew had _always_ been just a good friend, even when she had thought otherwise. She had always cared for him as a brother; her admiration for him only went that far – just like a little sister adoring a brother. The few days she spent away from him while contemplating her own thoughts, finally allowed her to see the truth.

"What am I going to do?" she sobbed, as the pellets of rain stung at her sensitive skin. She was sitting on the sidewalk right in front of the hospital and she could feel the water run up her drenched pants. It was cold, so cold. She shivered while pedestrians walked by looking at her strangely. But she didn't care. Her socks were soaked wet, now squishing with water when she pulled her legs under her and brought her knees to her face.

Ichigo let the downfall of rain continue to beat at her back, as beads of water formed at the ends of her hair, slowly dripping and falling to the ground. She hated wet socks, it was the most disgusting feeling in the world. In fact, she absolutely abhorred being so entirely drenched. Her infused feline DNA absolutely revolted at the fact that she was still sitting here in the violent rain. So why did her body refuse to move?

She let out a shallow sigh as she continued to stare into the dark space between her chest and legs, but it came as a shivered hiccup. Maybe she could go to the café and find Ryou there. Hadn't he said he was returning home?

"ARG" she screamed in utter frustration. Maybe this was all for the best. Besides, she had decided to tell him that it was a joke anyway. She had wanted him to pretend nothing had happened only a few hours earlier, so didn't things work out for the best?

Ichigo shook her head violently, strands of wet hair catapulting beads of water at those who passed by. Who was she kidding? Even if he had no feelings for her, she couldn't lie to herself now.

"You IDIOT!" she screamed as she choked back another sob. "It was never Masaya! It was always you…" her voice faded away and memories of Ryou crept into her mind. Masaya was but a child's crush; Ryou was…Ryou was…what exactly was he to her? Her head shot up and she settled her chin on her crossed arms that rested on her knees.

Ryou was just her boss and partner, wasn't he? She shook her head. God, she was doing it again, even when she was just thinking. Of course she knew what he was to her. It wasn't Masaya's kisses that left her breathless and wanting more all this time, and it wasn't Masaya's smile that made her heart melt at one glance; it had all been Ryou.

Only Ryou's words could affect her so much, and now she was only beginning to realize what her ex-boyfriend had long noticed. All her screaming, all that frustration, it wasn't because Ryou was an absolute jerk; it was because only _his_ words could agitate her like that. If anyone else had said the same things, would she have been as annoyed by them?

She rolled her head so that her left cheek lay on her arm. Her emotions clung on to every one of his words. He was responsible for all her highs and lows, even if she had not known it. When he said he liked her hair down, she had kept it down every day afterwards; she didn't even notice why she had started doing that.

But now she knew more clearly than ever. She loved him. She had always loved him. And he was always right for calling her a baka, because she had been an idiot all this time for never knowing. Her shoulders shook uncontrollable as she finally allowed herself to wail in her self misery, in her heart wrenching anguish.

"Poor heartbroken girl…" she mildly heard some pedestrian remark. Little had she known that she was once again speaking her thoughts out loud, though if Ryou was here, he would have long pointed it out and teased her for it.

"RYOU!" she suddenly wailed, again reminded of him. "THAT IDIOT" she attempted to growl, but only managed to mutter it weakly. She was freezing, and even though the rain was just beginning to abate, chill new winds came and stung at her sides like icy hail. Her hair was whipping into her eyes and lashing at her face, only to get knotted together into a messy clump when it began to settle.

Ichigo Momomiya, the future idol to take the world by storm, was now reduced to this. Just like a stray cat, only worse, as her ruggedly rundown and pathetically miserable appearance probably made her look like a homeless bum.

She took a deep breath. At least she didn't stink.

She once again struggled to control her wails, reducing them to muffled inconsistent sobs. Oh God. Was that really all she could say? _At least she didn't stink?!_

The redhead once again dug her head into her arms as she sat uncomfortably on the sidewalk. Her elbows were now smeared with the blood from her knees, but she hadn't noticed. How long had she been sitting wretchedly all alone right here, on this cold, stormy and just plain _horrible_ winter day?

The loud clashes of thunder gradually softened until it was no more; the winds had calmed down and the rain was long gone. But the girl was still there, wallowing in complete hopelessness. The tears of heaven were gone, but hers were still there.

No matter how bad things had been in the past, she always had Ryou. Even if he had only played that awkward role of teasing her, he had his own strange ways of cheering her up. When it really got down to it, Ryou had always been willing to listen through her problems, even if he acted like he was annoyed.

"And now I have nothing. Nothing at all." She had just rejected Masaya, who truly did love her and who was always willing to help in times of need. But she knew that even if she hadn't, this excruciating pain she felt wouldn't change.

"Because I love Ryou." She whispered weakly, stirring at the strange words. It was really good to say after all this time. She dropped her arms to her side, head growing warm at the thought. The world was spinning, but there was one fact that she was now certain of. "I've always loved Ryou." With that last whisper, Ichigo's head dropped to her shoulder as her body gave way, causing her to fall over onto the hard, wet ground.

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Sorry for the short chapter, but it was the perfect place to stop. Plus, this was originally supposed to be the three chapters combined.

Oh yeah, i just hadd to include that wet sock comment. It's the worst thing everrr!

Anyway, if you have any specific requests, now's the time to ask! i thought it was going to be a bit weird ending the story using both points of view, because then the reader knows both of their thoughts, which takes away the drama of not knowing the answer. Oh well ;) I'll probably start another story using just one person's pov. Let me know what think!


	21. Forgetting About You

Yay an update! Sorry if this chapter is a little short, but I didn't want to give away too much with this.

Enjoy the read! Please read and review. **5+ reviews before the next update!** (The next chapter should be the last chapter or second to last chapter...plus an epilogue.)

Thanks for all the support up to now! I can't believe my first fanfic is finally coming to an end!

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**Chapter 21****: Forgetting About You**

The harsh pellets of icy cold water beat against Ryou's back and slashed forcefully onto the ground of the shower stand.

"COLDER!" He hissed as he stared at his toes. "HARDER!"

He turned around, letting the pressure of the water dig into his face and chest as he reached for the cold water knob and turned it all the way to the right. It was stinging his skin, like sharp needles, but he continued standing there motionless as if not at all affected. Even with the icy water hitting him, he could not numb himself from his thoughts.

_Ichigo, staring up at him with such imploring eyes._

_Ichigo's voice when she pinned him down and sent a chill down his spine after teasing him with those arousing words._

_The feeling of Ichigo's hand running through his hair and the taste of her sweet lips._

_And finally, the image of Ichigo staring into Aoyama's eyes, saying the three words he would have given the world to hear from her: __**I love you**__._

Ryou groaned, ruffling his hair into a wet soggy mess. It was all Ichigo, _always_ Ichigo and he was sick of it!

He dropped to the ground, cold icy water pressing into him still. How could he have almost thought he had a chance? He was nothing to her, absolutely nothing and even if he waited a lifetime, that wouldn't change.

He got up, eyes narrowing as determination flowed through him. He was done being pathetic. He was done with her.

Emotionless Ryou was back. After turning off the water, he stepped out of the shower and got dressed.

"Ryou!" Keiichiro's voice could be heard through his bedroom door over the sound of the howling wind outside.

"Come in." The blond replied blandly, now settled in front of his laptop. The entire headache of girl problems only began when he had too much time to spare after the alien attacks, so Ryou resolved to drown himself in work. Maybe then, he could revert back to the child genius who was always too busy to live a normal life. Never before did he have the time to consider the aspects of childish crushes, love, or friendship and he intended to keep it that way.

Keiichiro stepped in through the door, quietly closing it behind him as he looked at Ryou who was still facing the computer screen.

"Phone call."

Ryou turned around to raise an eyebrow at the speaker expectantly. As a moment of silence passed between the two, only the pounding of hail rapping at his window could be heard.

"It's Aoyama-kun." Keiichiro approached the blond, extending his arm to pass the phone to him with a half confused look on his face.

"Thank you, Keiichiro." He said as he took the phone into his hand. He covered the mouthpiece of the phone, waiting for the brunet to leave.

Keiichiro turned around with a sigh, but before he opened the door to go, he turned back around to face Ryou. "Your eyes. They're just like how they were that night of the fire." His voice was hushed as if he didn't trust himself to speak any louder, and his eyebrows were furrowed in concern.

The blond said nothing, only further narrowing his hardened icy blue eyes at the chef who was now retreating from his room.

"Yes Aoyama?" Ryou spoke as coldly as ever.

"Hey, thanks for everything lately." Masaya's voice was sincere, though his voice seemed a little uncertain. "I mean with the food and stuff you've been bringing to the hospital."

"Yeah whatever."

"So, uh, Ichigo told me you two weren't together?"

Ryou groaned at his words. Certainly, the dark-haired tree hugger hadn't been so bad lately and he even thought they found some sort of compromise with each other, but the blond was beginning to regret his own kindness towards the guy.

Masaya continued to speak. "Anyway, I was wondering if you've seen Ichigo."

The blond gave another groan. An injured Aoyama was no less annoying. But really, as matters over Ichigo no longer concerned him, he resumed an emotionless tone when he replied. "No, not since I left the hospital."

"Oh." Masaya sounded worried.

"What's up? Lost track of your girlfriend?" He spoke as coolly as ever.

"She's...not my girlfriend." His voice trembled slightly, though Masaya kept it in control. After a brief pause, he continued speaking. "I-I thought she'd be at the cafe at least. Her mom gave me a call, looking for her. Said she hadn't gotten home yet."

"What?" Ryou shot up from his seat, as he felt a knot at his throat. Then settling back down into his seat, he forced the knot down. She no longer concerned him.

"Hmm...she's probably at Miwa's or Moe's. Thanks anyway, Shirogane-san." Ryou continued to hold the phone beside his ear at the sound of the click and expected dial tone.

The sudden clasp of lightning outside stirred him from his daze. He stiffly turned his head toward the window. The skies were grey and ominous. The wind was howling, and within just a few minutes, there was a load roar of thunder. Ichigo had always been scared of thunder...

But what did he care? He was done with that girl.

Agitated at the unease he felt against his chest, Ryou walked out of his room, wincing ever so slightly at each rumble of thunder.

He shut his room door tight, before heading down to the cafe. But just as he turned towards the stair, he crashed into a concerned Keiichiro who was speeding through the hall. Ryou rubbed his temples, and looked up to see the brunet already rising to his feet, rushing his way downstairs.

"KEIICHIRO!" He screamed after him. It was unlike the kind chef to just walk away without an apology. Somewhat angry, but more so curious, the blond followed behind silently.

"Girls!" Ryou heard Keiichiro addressing the Mews from the stairs. "It seems as though a winter storm warning has just been issued." His words were met with gasps from the girls. Even the normally hyperactive Pudding remained silent in the situation. "Therefore, I advise all of you to STAY INDOORS. You'll be much safer at the cafe and in the worst case scenario, we can take cover in the basement."

"But..." Pudding just began to whimper slightly. "What about Ichigo-neesan." Ryou's stomach lurched at the thought, though he fought it off.

Keiichiro turned to the upset girl and spoke. "The cafe is definitely one of the safest places in Tokyo, but she should be fine as long as she's indoors. It'll be fine." He smiled reassuringly to the light orange haired girl whose eyes were beginning to blur with tears.

Lettuce turned to Pudding, also smiling though hers was a little more strained. "Don't worry Pudding, Ichigo's probably at home. Remember, she's been sick at home for the past two days so there's no way she'll be out in the storm."

Ryou remained by the stairs, staring down at his hands. Ichigo couldn't possibly be outside right? Like Aoyama said, she was most likely with Miwa or Moe right? She had to be. She just had to.

But...but what if she wasn't? He shook his head violently. It was none of his concern after all.

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End of chapter 21! Sorry it's a crappy ending, but it'll get better soon, I promise! The next chapter should be the last one!

I had actually updated the chapter earlier, but then I found a plot hole in my story so I had to change it! (At least I didn't lose a humungous portion of my chapter this time...that was hell last time it happened. NOT fun at all)

Anyway, it's still fixable, since I'll just clarify it more in the next chapter. I'll immediately start writing the next chapter!


	22. My Light in the Darkness

**Starlight ****is finally concluding.**

Here it is, the final chapter! I am however, planning to include an epilogue. That really depends on whether you guys want it or not because it would sort of act like the intro to their one week of chained misadventures! But it would also tie up some stuff I guess.

I'm a little sad it's over :T

_I would like to take this time to thank all my readers for continuing through with this story and to my reviewers who were kind enough to take the time to give me some feedback. A special thanks to the top two reviewers!_

Azilda: For being with me since the beginning! You were my very first reviewer.

butterflyangellover14: For the constant encouragement!

And to the following regular reviewers:

Colonel Bastard: For being one of the few people that offer constructive criticism.

Thanks to Arieva LeFly, along LOVES Ryou -nya, and KyoxSakiFan for offering such entertaining reviews

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews that made the completion of this story possible!

animefan876  
RyIcHiGo  
Kishusbabe  
.'Sabaku No Annie'.  
Angel Ichigo Melody  
ILikePie95  
JoJoNot  
Joytir  
dbzgtfan2004  
Kitty LOVES Ryou –nya  
Lilian

All of you are absolutely awesome! And you readers rock my world! I couldn't have gotten through this story without you guys. MWAA! Much Love to you all :) Sorry if I missed anyone, but I think that's everyone.

Anyway, **please read and review**. There is of course no review limit this time for me to cheat you for your reviews, only the goodness of your heart :) Enjoy the read! It's one of the longest chapters.

* * *

**Final Chapter**

**Chapter 22**:** My Light in the Darkness**

The darkness swallowed her whole. She drowned in its repressing whims; she was suffocating. There was no light, no hope, and no pillar of support. They had all disappeared the moment Ryou left her to cry on the streets all alone.

She gasped shallow breaths and suddenly gagged from the pang of pain as the chill icy air hit her lungs. She wanted to bring her hands around her neck to help her smooth down the sharp intake of air, or rather, the void of the darkness, but as soon as she tried to move, she found that she was frozen in place. She could barely feel her own body, so numbed from the icy cold as it was.

Ichigo fought to keep that breath within her; no matter how cold it was and no matter how much pain it stung her lungs with, she knew that she had to continue those harsh, desperate breaths. Her body knew better than her mind, and it had long forced her mind to will herself forward in the now laborious regulatory body processes that were once second nature.

Her mind was still unaware of her surroundings as it slowly fought its way out of the world of nightmares.

Where was she?

Her eyes were shut tight and she found them difficult to pry open due to the frozen intertwined lashes. And there was this strange, icy cold substance pushing against her eyelids along with every inch of her skin. She forced her eyes open.

She stared blankly ahead of her at first, so close to the blur of white that her mind could not understand what it was. And then she realized.

It was worse than nightmares. It was hell.

A hell of pure white icy hail clumped together into a blanket over Tokyo. A blanket that must have been a good four feet high. And the red-haired Ichigo Momomiya found herself buried alive snugly under it.

Her eyes grew wide as sudden panic took over, completely dominating her body. She automatically tried to bring a hand up against her chest to quell her speeding heartbeat that would surely burst in the next minute.

The motion only made things worse. Little did she know that the warmth of her body had already managed to melt some of the ice around her away, leaving behind a very narrow and unstable little cave supported by the newly formed ice around her. Yet that sudden flick of the wrist which she could not even feel had knocked down the very unstable support of the cave.

She tried to cough as the three feet of snow above her collapsed into her mouth. Fear swept through her entire being, her core, her everything. She had never experienced fear before this moment. She couldn't breath – the ice crashed down into her throat, and as much as she tried to inhale, her throat was forced open by the snow and refused to let her trachea open for air. She was choking, tears streaming down her face, melting the icy white that it came in contact with. Her lungs screamed for air. It cried desperately for what it couldn't have. Ichigo was going to die and she knew it.

And then the ice melted and she swallowed, gagged, and coughed up whatever she could as she took several shallow breaths, savouring the air despite the pain it caused her lungs. The force of the cough sent another wave of ice to crash down into her mouth, this time entering the wrong pipe.

She was cursed to spend the rest of eternity in this torture wasn't she? To experience repeated brushes with death over and over and over again...

No, no, no! How could Mew Ichigo fall victim to such a ridiculous death?!

But no matter how much her mind fought away the thought, the truth of the matter was that her body was much too weak. She just couldn't lift herself from the ground. She couldn't push away the weight of three feet of snow crushing down against her frail fallen body.

It was all over, she just knew it. Her mind was already slipping away from awareness, back into the world of nightmares. She lay motionless in defeat. At least that world of nightmares was better than reality.

"Ichigo! Ichigo!" She could sense a glowing light in her dreams.

The harsh cold winds rasped at his pale cheeks, turning them red with frostbite. The figure could not be seen at the surface of the blanket of frozen hail. He was bent low against the layer of snow ahead of him, digging frantically at the sharp blades of ice. His hands were dripping with blood as he scraped them repeatedly, each time he dug a handful of ice from his path.

"GODAMNIT Ichigo. Where the hell are you?" The figure screamed as he brought a hand over his face. His knees were weak and his body shivered at the cold even with the depth of snow acting as a shield from the wind. He turned around , facing the hollowed trail behind him. The path was carved shoddily. It divided two walls of frozen snow, though those walls threatened to collapse. The edges of the iced walls shimmered like broken obsidian, only a sleek shiny pink instead of black with conchoidal fractures. The once pure white of the frozen ice were now pink with drops of his blood, which had mixed with the whiteness when he had dug out those half rounded balls of ice from the frozen hail.

"ICHIGO!" He screamed yet again, sliding slowly down as he leaned against the humungous block of ice behind him yet to be dug away. His knees were weak and for all the adrenaline pumping through him, he had been at it for hours – ever since he rushed out of the cafe before the beginning of the blizzard.

He pulled himself back up and looked beyond the block of ice, dirty blond hair pasted against his frozen cheeks. He was only a few feet away from the hospital. Ryou knew exactly where he was going, even if he wasn't sure if the girl would be there. It might've been stupid; the girl was probably at a friend's place or even back at the hospital by now but he couldn't shake off the uneasily feeling. He might've just dug through miles of ice for absolutely no reason at all.

But what if Ichigo really was out here? Could he ever forgive himself if he left her alone out here in the storm?

The sudden gust of wind caused the particles of dusty snow at the surface of the icebergs to swirl violently into the air, decreasing visibility. The blond could still make out the lamppost of the sidewalk though and he eyeballed the distance from where he had seen her last.

It was only a little further. He just had to make sure.

He dug and dug until finally, he noticed red. Bright red. Strawberry red. His eyes went wide. It wasn't the same red as his blood.

"Oh God." He quickly scratched away the large pile of snow. "Please, don't let it be Ichigo." But he already knew.

"No, no." He stared down at her purpled lips as his face scrunched into a pained expression. Some of her fingers were tipped with small flakes of ice. Ryou took her hands, rubbing his against them to melt the ice away. He quickly slipped out of his jacket to cover the girl. "I'm sorry Ichigo. I'm so sorry." He bent low against the ground, trying to listen for her breath.

"Ry-ou." Her soft voice made its way through her cracked purple lips and into Ryou's pink ears. He lifted her head onto his lap as he kneeled. Her eyes were still closed and she continued mumbling incoherently, face strewn with a painful look.

"Ichigo, I'm here." He said as he choked back his tears. "Don't you dare die on me Ichigo."

But the redheaded girl did not hear a single word. All she could see was the darkness around her...except for a single glow of soft light.

"Light..." she mumbled between the thin opening of her lips. The blond shot up at her word. "Don't go there Ichigo." He pulled her up against him pressing her wet frozen body against himself. His arms wrapped around her protectively and they rubbed against the sides of her arms to warm her up.

"Please Ichigo. I don't care if you don't love me just- just stay alive!" The strands of his golden hair hung limply from his head as he looked down at the girl, eyes fighting away the tears.

"Ichigo." He rocked her back and forth as he tried to stay warm himself, all the while pressing his own face into Ichigo's. Then, he finally stopped. "Ichigo. If you die, I don't know what I'd do with myself." The heavy tears of his usual emotionless eyes now cascaded down his cheek, warming her face when it fell from his. "Ichigo. You can't leave me here alone."

His eyebrows furrowed together, as he choked on his words. "I love you Ichigo. I've always loved you. So please, _please_ just come back to me." Ryou stared down at her cold face, holding tightly onto her as if holding her close would keep her from leaving the world. Her breaths became shallower and weaker. He could feel her body heave more and more slowly.

"Damnit Ichigo." He screamed. "I'm not ready to let you go yet."

He lowered his face against hers. If she was a cat, it would be easier to keep her warm.

His lips met hers. It was meant to be a light tap but Ryou deepened the kiss. After all, it might've been the very last time he could do it. With that thought, he pulled her closer against him, heart racing despite her cold lips. He put everything he felt for her into that one kiss, feeling like he was going to explode with the sensation. But he kept going, he pushed forward afraid to stop – because if he did, it would be like admitting to himself that he could do nothing to save her.

And then she pushed back.

Ichigo had gone toward the growing light despite the warning she heard from beyond her dreams. She was drawn to it, and when she had gotten close enough, it completely sucked her in, bathing her in incredible warmth. She felt the warmth spread through her body as a strange yet familiarly incredible sensation crept through her mouth. For all of the numbness of her frozen body, she could feel the soft lips pressing against her own just as her own body pressed against the warmth.

Ichigo opened her eyes and stared at the tear stained face of Ryou in shock. He opened his blue-eyes for her and she found herself revelling in their depths. They were full of concern – concern just for her. He moved to part from her, now more relieved than he had ever been in his entire life.

But as soon as she realized what he was doing, she grabbed onto his vest trying to pull him back, though she didn't have the strength for it as her lips tried to follow after his. Ryou felt the light tug, and returned his lips to their rightful place – locked against Ichigo's.

The redhead knew she didn't have enough energy to speak, but there was something she had to do. No matter what happened, she had to let him know how she felt.

She kissed him as she had never kissed before. She gave her entire being into the kiss, putting more into it than she thought was even possible. She parted her lips to let her tongue push through without resistance, just as she snuggled as close to him as physically allowed. She felt him return it with equal fervor as he slipped her cold arms under his vest. He pressed against her as if fighting to occupy the same space as her body.

Ryou pulled away, causing her to gasp for air. For sweet sweet air, that her lungs were once again accustomed to processing. She coughed a little at the sudden sharp intake caused by the stirring kiss and looked up to see those beautiful aquamarine eyes watch her with concern.

They were still huddled together on the ground with Ryou still clinging onto her when she spoke. "You – you came back." She whispered weakly and then smiled.

"Of course I would. You're my strawberry. I'd never leave you alone like that because- " he paused for a moment as if he suddenly caught himself before saying too much, but then sighed in defeat. "because I love you too much, Ichigo. I've always loved you and I'll always keep loving you." He drew his eyes away from her as his face tensed into an aggrieved expression. "Even if you don't love me." He whispered under his breath.

In the next moment, Ryou's face brightened up, he was smiling. "You baka. I leave you alone for once and this is what happens. I'm never leaving you again." His eyes were beautiful, caring and warm. If she stared into them for long enough, she'd go crazy trying to fight the very compelling urge to kiss him again.

"But I do love you Ryou." She whispered weakly not quite aware of the words that slipped from her mouth. She had not even heard his last words. His eyes were the last things she remembered as she lost consciousness. The nightmare was returning and she felt herself spiraling once again into the darkness.

* * *

She stirred, eyelids slightly fluttering. It wasn't cold anymore, even if she was still sinking in the eternal blackness of her nightmares. Maybe she was already dead, still buried under the snow. But at least she died with a nice dream. That is, before she once again found herself in the blackness that no longer hurt.

In fact, it was much nicer than being awake when she was aware of her sore body, when she had to struggle just to breathe. It was all much easier now. Maybe the need to breathe was gone and her struggles were all over. Whatever it was, she had finally found inner peace.

There was just the slightest glow in the darkness though and she was drawn to it. It danced through the black, teasing her to chase it and she did. Besides, things couldn't get any worse or better than they were now and the darkness really was getting a bit boring.

She followed the light, prancing along just as it did. It was swift. It was hard to catch and it always seemed to be in right front of her, constantly taunting her. There were instances she was frustrated, angry and sad, but still, she continued to persist never giving up on that little flicker of dancing light.

She finally managed to catch it with her own two hands.

It was warm and reassuring. She could make out the light through her eyelids. Had it all been a dream? Was she still stuck under the ice? Why didn't she feel cold now? Was she dead? Then how come she had eyelids to see through?

At the last question, the confused girl shot up from her bed, panic now taking over once again. Her wide opened eyes scanned the room. There was a low beeping in the background and she felt her body aching all over. Her chest hurt to expand when she breathed. Where the hell was she? Or was she in heaven? It didn't look like heaven.

And she thought she had finally found peace in the darkness. She was just a bit disappointed having to part from that world, now that the physical pain was returning.

There was a lone window to the left of her bed, and everything was so white. She didn't belong here. She felt like her presence alone disturbed the peace of the purity. She took a sharp breath in, her heartbeat racing in anxiety.

And then she finally noticed the warm contact of something against her hands. She turned towards the right to look. It was Ryou. Her racing pulse subsided the longer she stared at him.

His golden hair completely hid his face from view, as he kept his head down against the side of the bed that Ichigo was now laying on. His glowing hair hung limply, just as it had when he had stared down at her tenderly. She pulled his hand closer toward her.

His knuckles were bloodied but he continued to clasp her hand tightly even through his sleep.

"I told you I'd never leave you again, strawberry." He whispered, turning his head to the side to face her. So it hadn't been a dream at all.

Ichigo stared at him, tears beginning to form at her eyes. He really should have checked his hands first.

"Don't worry about my hands. They're almost healed now anyway." He said as he moved to sit beside her, left hand still linked with hers. He brought his free one against her face, wiping away the tears.

"What? Let me see." She grabbed at his right wrist with her left hand. It was true. Certainly, it was still covered with dried blood, but it was almost healed. She raised both eyebrows in shock. "A genius with mindreading powers _and_ the ability to heal quickly," she muttered.

"You baka." He smiled weakly at her. "It's already been two days."

Her eyes grew wide. "I've been sleeping for two days?!"

Ryou nodded slightly.

"OH MY GOD. MY DAD IS GOING TO KILL ME." She started to push the covers off with her left hand, motioning to get out of bed. "I have to call him right now. I have to go HOME! He'll think I was out with some guy!!" She shrieked before she suddenly felt Ryou grab her shoulder and tug her arm.

"Which you were." Ichigo turned around to look at the speaker. He was smirking. Her gaze fell on their still linked hands, much to her embarrassment. She immediately tried to pull away when she realized.

"Stop that. I've already decided. I'm never letting you go again. Didn't I already telling you that I'm never leaving you alone again?" His tone was neutral though he looked away, cheeks turning pink; he was trying to play it off as a joke. "Besides," he said as he turned around to point at her arm "...the I.V. drip is still in you."

He had not moved one inch from his seat on the bed. She stayed quiet, settling back in bed before speaking to Ryou. "I still gotta let my parents know. Otherwise, I'll get punished." She said softly, already defeated. "Oh MY- " She suddenly jumped at the thought. "THEY'LL CHANGE THEIR MINDS ABOUT THE WHOLE IDOL THING!"

**PLOP!** Ichigo coughed at the breath knocked out of her.

Ryou had fallen against her, pinning her down on the bed that was half raised. She could feel his breath tickle at her ear, and could almost taste the sweet vanilla scent.

"R-Ryou!" She exclaimed as she fought the emergence of her cat features.

"I already let them know strawberry." The deep rumble of his voice was soft, like a low purr. He didn't move from his position.

"R-Ryou?" She questioned, still very aware of the contact of his bare arms and warm cheeks as he leaned against her face. There was no answer.

She still felt the firm grip of his hand over hers, enjoying its warmth and sense of assurance. Ryou really was always there for her. She was a little agitated at herself for not having known earlier, but at least she realized it now. She loved him, more than anything in the world. And it was about time to finally let him know.

"Ryou, please just listen to what I have to say. About earlier, I have an answer for you." She spoke, voice trembling as she allowed herself to enjoy the soft feel of his hair against her face. "I've been blind to it all this time. Even when I was with Masaya..." She took a deep breath. It was now or never. She had to do it even if her heart was racing to the point of breaking apart.

"I love you. I've always loved you. I was just too stupid to know." The first three words had escaped her mouth slightly louder than she had wished for it to. After all, she wasn't entirely certain that she really had heard him before. She was beginning to think that she had imagined them. Those words, they were just too good to be true: _"because I love you too much Ichigo. I've always loved you and I'll always keep loving you."_

She waited nervously, though she couldn't help a stupid smile to appear on her face as she recalled the words. If she really had imagined those words, then she was in for a huge embarrassment. But at this point, after understanding how much she truly cared about him, it was worth the risk.

Her breathing shallowed as she hiccupped in air, half holding her breath while she continued to intake more. Her heart was thumping uncontrollably at her ears. She felt her cheeks grow warm thinking how Ryou could probably feel it through her chest as they lay there almost as closely pressed together as they had been two days ago.

"Ryou?" Something was wrong. His grip didn't change but he should have said something by now. Even if it was shocking, typical Ryou would have found something to say; he never was one to be speechless.

Ichigo gently pried him from her chest, pushing at his shoulder with her left hand. Her right hand was still linked with Ryou's and his grip hadn't changed at all. She looked at him. His head hung limp and his eyes were shut.

Her hazelnut eyes grew wide as panic once again threatened to control her. She searched around her bed and after finding the little device to alert the nurses, she clicked on the tiny button repeatedly. She kept clicking it, her eyes never moving from her boss, her partner, her _everything_. Even when the nurses had rushed into the room, her thumb never stopped pressing the button.

The two nurses who entered, were confused at first, but immediately rushed to do their jobs as they soon realized that the body that was leaning against the girl whose face had lost all color, was limp. With their own cheeks slightly rosy at the sight they had previously misunderstood, they quickly disconnected the needle at Ichigo's arm, and injected it into Ryou's. Ichigo motioned to climb out of the bed so that the nurses could settle the blond into it, but found it to be a little difficult when she felt the tug at her right hand – Ryou was still holding it.

"Don't worry Momomiya-san. It's nothing major." One nurse said as she flipped Ryou around carefully, waiting for Ichigo to walk around the bed so that her arm would not have to twist uncomfortably as she continued to hold Ryou's hand. "It's just the lack of nutrition."

The other nurse adjusted a pillow under his head. "He hadn't eaten in two days. He's been waiting by your bed the entire time, not moving from that one spot. We tried to convince him to take a look at his hands when he had managed to dig his way through the ice to get to the hospital, but he absolutely refused to leave your side." She gave a kind look to the sleeping blond.

Ichigo stared at Ryou's limp figure, heart wrenching in pain as a grimace crept onto her face. He was suffering because of her.

The other nurse spoke. "It was amazing. No trains or buses are running even now because of the storm. Granted, the ice is probably even more solid than before but they can't seem to shovel away any of it, when this guy had somehow managed to dig through miles just to get here. "

"Miles?" Ichigo wondered as her mouth could not seem to say anything else in her shock.

The younger nurse who had been speaking blushed a little. "From the cafe I mean. He owns it right?" She asked as if she hadn't already known. "I'm a regular customer there."

"Oh Geez." Ichigo brought her free hand against her gaping mouth.

"You're very lucky to have a boyfriend like him." The nurse said a little dejectedly, though she offered Ichigo a warm smile. "I'll be back to get you some food" she said quietly, as the two made their way out the door. But before she closed the door behind her, she spoke again. "Don't worry. He should be alright in a few hours."

After the nurse had left, Ichigo turned to face the window. They had managed to move the seat over to the right side of the bed and now she sat right beside the window. She looked outside, wondering what she else she had missed in the past two days.

The ground outside shimmered a glassy white raising the normal ground level up by a few feet.It looked almost identical two days ago, except for a single path from the hospital that led to the direction of the cafe. The edges of the walls of ice along the path were strangely shaped. They looked like the sides of a melon that was scooped out with a spoon. But it got even stranger. The semicircular shapes around the ice blocks shimmered a very subtle pink.

She turned around, looking at the warm hand that held her still. Dried blood.

Ichigo groaned, lifting her left hand against her forehead. In the few minutes since waking up, she was already beginning to realize how deeply his love for her ran. And over the past few days before the incident, she had thought _she_ was the one suffering. Now she clearly saw how much Ryou suffered for her sake.

"Here's some lunch." The nurse had entered the room with the food prepared and handed Ichigo a tray which she placed on her lap. The brown haired nurse gave a thoughtful look to Ryou. "And he's a hottie, you lucky, lucky girl." She said under her breath.

Upon hearing her soft whispers, Ichigo shooed the nurse out of the room. "Like I'm going to let anyone take him away now." She muttered to herself.

After finishing her lunch, which took some time as she was right-handed, she settled her head against the blond's side. She always did get a little tired after eating. Ichigo nudged against the resting body, holding his hand against her face before falling asleep.

She had finally caught that glow of light in her dreams and the darkness was no more.

* * *

"Ichigo?!" The voice startled her, waking her from her comforting sleep. "W-What are you doing?"

"Hmm?" She was still groggy and was not aware of the contact of Ryou's hand against her sleeping face. "Not sleeping...thanks to you." She yawned.

"I mean, what are you still doing _here_?" He asked, trying to resume his normal tone. "I know the trains and buses aren't running, but the path to the cafe is still open." He looked away from her.

"Well, I can't really go if you're still holding my hand right?" She rolled her eyes at him. He seemed a little taken back as he pulled his hand away from her soft cheek, while still holding on to her right hand. "So will you let go already?"

He looked down at their intertwined fingers, having stirred from his slumber only because of the touch of her skin. His expression seemed contemplative, Ichigo noted, quite satisfied that he had once again dropped his usual emotional shields around her.

"Let go please." She said calmly. Ryou seemed hurt by her words. "Hadn't you said that you lov- " He paused mid-sentence.

"I, what?"

"N-never mind." He turned away, strands of soft hair whipping into his eyes. He gave her hand a slight squeeze before loosening his grip, waiting for her to pull away.

"You dug that path didn't you?" Ichigo stared straight at his blue-eyes which flinched briefly. "Why would you do that? Why didn't you get your hands treated first you idiot? Why didn't you _eat_ something?"

He turned to look at her, confusion spreading across his countenance. He had never heard Ichigo use that tone before. "Huh?"

"God, for a genius, you sure are slow." She said in a strict tone as she lectured him. She pulled away her hand as she spoke the harsh words, causing Ryou's expression to drop.

"Uh- sorry about your hand." He managed to say as he closed his eyes, resting his head casually on his arms behind him. He shivered involuntarily at the recollection that Ichigo had been in this very same bed only hours ago.

Ryou suddenly felt something soft press against his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down. "I-ICHIGO?!" He immediately brought his head up, face growing rosier by the minute having caught just the briefest glance down her low cut shirt.

The redhead had crawled her way onto the bed, with cat ears and tail fully in place as she nestled comfortably against the resting blond. She pulled herself up, brushing her face against his cheeks. Her breath teased his senses as she whispered in his ear. "How could I do this if we were still holding hands?"

"T-this? W-what th-" But before Ryou could continue his stuttering, Ichigo interrupted with a sudden kiss. She looped an arm around his neck as she brought another hand through his silky hair. She pressed herself against him, crushing the breath out of him as he similarly left her breathless with his prying tongue. He pulled her in with one arm along her waist and another at the back of her head, as both of them delved deeply and passionately into the kiss, exploring every inch of their mouths with their hungry tongues. She finally broke the kiss, though she wanted to scream for more. Ryou clutched his chest to keep his heart from jumping out.

Ichigo looked into the depths of the sapphire orbs, losing herself in their warmth as she caught her breath. She wrapped her arms around him as a giant smile made its way across the blond's stunned face.

And then her words wiped off the stupid expression from the blond who had just experienced pure bliss for just a few seconds. "You're such an idiot. How were you planning to stay with me if you passed out? What if something happened to you?" She had propped herself up on top of Ryou, glaring at him.

"I love you Ryou." Ryou's smile returned upon hearing Ichigo complete her thought – he could see the concern in her eyes. He wrapped his arms protectively around his favorite strawberry.

"I love you too Ichigo." He motioned to give her a light kiss on the forehead, truly happy for the first time since his parents' death. He was once again interrupted though, as she pulled herself further up, lips just by his ears.

"But if you ever do something as stupid as that again, I might have to punish you." She growled with an evil glint in her eyes as she nibbled the corners of his very pink ears.

**THE END **

(for now)

* * *

_By the way, I'm don't know if any of you noticed, but the dream about catching the light had a deeper meaning. How she got angry frustrated and sad, represented all the times love (the light) had failed, or rather how she had failed to grasp it. So when she finally caught it, it was when she finally understood what love was, and when she had a real chance at it._

I'm probably going to start a new fanfic that follows this one, depending if anyone's interested.

Please let me know what you think of the story overall and about the ending. Was the ending satisfying? What were your favorite moments and favorite chapters? What didn't you like? And one of the most important questions: Did the flow of the story feel natural? Did Ichigo and Ryou seem to develop their feelings naturally or did it seem rushed? (This is just for me to know so I can work more on my writing.)

Also, please let me know if I should include an epilogue to this story and whether you would be interested in reading about their week together afterwards (probably just going to be lots and lots of fluff because they already know their feelings).

**Be sure to check out my other story: Unspoken Words. It's my second fanfic, once again about Ichigo and Ryou. **_(I wouldn't have it any other way.)_


	23. Epilogue

Due to popular demand, I've included an epilogue! Although honestly, it isn't much of one but more like a connecting chapter between this story and a possible sequel.

Don't hate me for it :X It serves well enough as an epilogue.

By the way, any typos or other mistakes that you bring to my attention is greatly appreciated! I try to keep my chapters free of careless mistakes, but there's always the occasional slip, so please let me know if you notice something! Thanks!

Side note, in case you were wondering why I spelled everything with ou instead of just an o, or if you just suspect I have weird spelling: _I have this annoying version of word that changes all my correctly spelled words to wrong words ie: harbored to harboured, favourite, reveled to revelled and a bunch of stupid things :( so it has been a little difficult trying to change everything back when Word does it automatically...)_

Now here it is, truly the final chapter of this story. Sobs It's done!! My first fanfic!! I feel suchh a sense of accomplishment! Thank you ALL for making this possible!

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Tea." Mint demanded as she impatiently tapped her foot with her empty cup held out expectantly. Ichigo said nothing, only ran into the kitchen and back out with a fresh pot of tea.

All the Mews turned to stare in disbelief.

"What, no screaming?" Mint questioned. Ichigo had a half dazed look as a stupid smile was plastered on her face. Her bestfriend knew that look too well, as did the other Mews.

Lettuce stepped in. "Could it be that you have another date with Aoyama-kun today?" The redhead turned around, her daydreaming expression immediately wiped from her face. But before she could respond, there was a low growl at the stairs. "Get to work girls!" He narrowed his eyes at the group of girls beside Ichigo. "I don't pay you girls to gossip." His tone was severe. "Especially not about Aoyama." He whispered more quietly to himself.

Ichigo avoided his gaze, feeling her cheeks grow warm at the not so distant memory of the three words Ryou spoke to her that completely melted her inside. _"I love you." _She could still hear it like the soft whisper of the wind. It had already been three days but the memory was fresh in her mind. Of course this was not at all surprising considering she had replayed that moment every free instant she had.

Once the blond disappeared, the Mews once again gravitated around Ichigo.

"Nya!" Ichigo screeched in sudden pain. Pudding was finally able to get a response out of the catgirl by pulling on her tail. She glared at the girl with a threatening look, but was soon interrupted by a calm Zakuro.

"You're daydreaming again, Ichigo." She stated as she pointed at the conspicuous black ears and tail.

"So you _do_ have another date na no da!" Pudding exclaimed as she finally released the tip of her tail, leaving it oddly bent out of shape.

"Uh…" The redhead shifted uncomfortably in her seat as all eyes were on her. "Sort of?"

"What do you mean sort of?" Mint immediately snapped back, curiosity and impatience getting the best of her. (Though honestly, she was rarely patient to begin with.)

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it _another_ date." Ichigo looked down, feeling her tail writhe around nervously as it slapped against the sides of her legs.

"Why wouldn't it be _another_ date with Aoyama?" Lettuce voiced the question before the other Mews asked.

"Because…" Her russet eyes darted along the tiles of the floor. Zakuro smiled at her reaction, suspecting her thoughts. "It's not with Aoyama. I broke up with him."

"WHAT?! WHEN?!" Mint, Lettuce and Pudding exclaimed in shock, completely in unison.

"Why didn't I hear about this earlier?" Mint asked, a little annoyed.

"Why are you so happy then?" Lettuce folllowed up. It wasn't that the Mews wanted her to be sad over the breakup, they just expected Ichigo to be completely heartbroken after how she had acted all year long around Aoyama. It was just a little shocking to see her dealing with it so well—actually, beyond just 'dealing' with it, it was shocking to see her utterly ecstatic.

"Girls…" Ryou had returned after hearing the commotion. He snarled a light warning to them, sending the girls back to work, except for Mint who returned to her tea sampling, and Zakuro who now walked toward the blond purposefully.

"So Shirogane-sane, when are you going to let them know?" Her eyes were unflinching.

The blond blushed furiously, looking away. "A-about what?"

She rolled her wolf eyes at him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "About Ichigo."

"There's nothing _to _know!" He snapped, his voice displaying an obvious tone of annoyance.

Zakuro raised at eyebrow at him, waiting.

"What? It's not like we're dating." He sulked.

"What?!" Zakuro's voice was a little louder than usual. Then readjusting her café uniform, she gave a light cough to recover her demeanor before speaking. "Then who does she have a date with?"

"S-SHE HAS A DATE?!" Ryou's eyes grew wide as his mouth remained agape even after he had finished speaking.

"Um." She looked away briefly. "No, of course not."

Ryou breathed a heavy sigh. "You're a bad liar." He retreated back upstairs, hand gripping tightly at the railing of the stairs as his eyes hung limply over his face.

The busy day at the café was finally over and none of the Mews had given up on questioning Ichigo. Even Zakuro's interest was peaked after having spoken to the grumpy (more so than usual) Ryou.

Ichigo failed to give a proper response though as she only continued chuckling moronically at her own thoughts. "Well girls, I'll tell you why I'm so happy." She finally conceded, but it wasn't at all what they had expected to hear. "I'm going to become a famous idol, just like Zakuro!" she squealed, not entirely revealing the whole truth.

Her news was met with excited chatters from the girl (except for Zakuro who was not at all surprised) as well as several fierce challenges from Mint that no one could beat her oneesama.

"And!" She continued, waiting for Pudding to stop the drumroll.

"I'll be joining her." Ichigo spun around, offering a wide grin to the speaker, but Ryou's expression was cold.

"Ooh!" Mint mused at all the times Ichigo had apparently gone to the blond to look for her 'keys' only to return with full fledged cat features. Lettuce and Pudding also chimed in, though Zakuro stood aside as Ichigo's hairline began to disappear with the increasing red on her face.

"Calm down girls. It's not what you think." Ichigo's head shot up, color suddenly drained from her face.

"Uh-yeah." Ichigo whispered, her voice trembled slightly as she gulped down the knot at her throat. "I had no choice but to do it with this j-jerk." She nearly choked on her words, but maintained her fuming façade.

"We'll be officially starting in a week." The blond stated dryly, narrowing his eyes at Ichigo before he went upstairs. The redhead suddenly looked down. Her ruby hair covered her hazelnut eyes which were shimmering with tears.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" Lettuce placed a shoulder on the slumping girl.

"O-oh. I-it's nothing really." She stuttered, fighting back her sobs. "I'm just sad that I'm going to leave you all soon."

Zakuro watched her. Although the other Mews had easily accepted that as the reason for her sudden depressed expression, the wolfgirl knew otherwise. That might have been part of the reason, but it wasn't the whole reason.

"Oh Ichigo" Lettuce spoke, wrapping her arms around the girl. "We'll miss you too."

"Yeah!" Pudding chirped. "And besides, you should go do what makes you happy na no da!"

"Pft." The mews turned to the seemingly rude Mint, whose expression revealed no tears as was the case with Lettuce and Pudding. "What's with you guys? It's not like you're leaving, Ichigo. If Zakuro-oneesama can do it, you can still work at the cafe whenever you're free."

"Oh...yeah!" Ichigo exclaimed, as Lettuce and Pudding immediately brightened up. Mint only rolled her eyes at them in response. "Anyway, Ichigo. Get cleaning! It's time to close up" She said carelessly as she waltzed out back towards the changing room. Lettuce and Pudding soon followed but Zakuro stayed behind, watching Ichigo's expression suddenly drop again.

"So what's with you and Shirogane?"

Ichigo jumped, having been oblivious to Zakuro's presence. "Uh. What do you mean?"

Zakuro rolled her eyes at her. "Not you too. God, the both of you are just so stubborn."

She walked over to Ichigo who stared silently at her feet. Then placing her arms on her shoulders, Zakuro spoke. "So who's the mystery date? Shirogane didn't seem too happy when I told him."

Ichigo raised her head, eyes growing wide at the idol's words as she stared at her utterly appalled. "You TOLD him?!"

Then running back out into the cafe, Zakuro mildly heard her mutter: "No _wonder_."

Seeing Mint, Pudding and Lettuce already changed, Ichigo had expected them to leave without her as they normally did. But her sudden news apparently had an impact on the three girls, who wanted to walk home together before Ichigo was to start her new career.

"I'm sorry guys, but you should go ahead." Ichigo said, feeling a little guilty for turning them down.

"But why na no da?" Pudding asked with pleading eyes.

The redhead groaned slightly as she pushed the girl towards the door. "Just because." Then catching Zakuro watching quietly in the corner, she turned her attention to her. "Zakuro, you too."

"Ichigo, you ready?" Keiichiro's voice made Ichigo jump.

"Uhh. Not now Keiichiro." She hissed, hoping that he could take a hint. Zakuro raised an eyebrow at the girl suspiciously.

"When did you start calling him Keiichiro?" She questioned.

"Oh, so _this_ is your secret date?" Mint jeered at the sputtering girl. Ichigo dropped her head against her palms, slightly defeated.

"Go, go, go, _please_." The redhead begged her friends before she was finally able to convince them to leave.

"KEIICHIRO?! THAT'S YOUR DATE?!" She heard the rumble of the all too familiar voice upon closing the door behind the three girls. She spun around to see a very shocked blond, pointing a finger at the brunet accusingly.

"GOD Ichigo, I just can't believe you." He muttered miserably as he stormed back upstairs. His hands were clasped into tight fists.

"AH Damnit!" The girl groaned, as she headed upstairs closely behind him.

* * *

"Ryou?" She whispered as she closed the door quietly behind her.

The blond lay on the bed, facing the wall. He made no motion or sound to acknowledge her presence.

"You're an idiot you know?" Again, no response. So much for the surprise date. She had asked Keiichiro to teach her to cook a romantic dinner for tonight.

"Ryou..." Ichigo said as she approached him. Her hands were clasped together and she nervously fiddled her thumbs. "What are we?" she voiced a question that had been itching her mind lately. "...to each other I mean." After the confession, they seemed to have become stuck in an odd place, not quite knowing what to do afterwards. In fact, things had barely seemed to change.

"Huh?" Ryou muttered mindlessly as he continued staring at the wall.

Ichigo crawled onto the bed and slid beside him, staring at the ceiling as the blond lay a few inches apart from her. "Ryou, what am I to you?" She asked, heart beating just a tiny bit faster at her sudden bold question. "Because I- I just can't keep waiting like this Ryou."

Ryou felt her arms slip around his waist as she spoke into the back of his shirt, causing his pulse to rise. "Ryou, I don't know why you're acting like this, but I'm clear about what you are to me. I've already told you before. I love you Ryou. I love you so much it breaks my heart when you don't talk to me." She sobbed into his shirt, wiping her tears against it. "A-and, I don't know what I have to do to convince you that."

The blond turned around, heart wrenching at the strawberry's tears.

"Ichigo," he whispered as he pulled her into his chest. He gently wiped away a falling tear with his hand as he looked down at her only inches from her face. He kept one arm wrapped snuggly against her waist bringing her in even closer as his other hand worked its way to the bottom of her chin.

She stared into his luminescent blue eyes, once again enraptured in their depths as her body shivered with delight at the contact of his warm body. She could feel him inching nearer, she could feel his breath against her cheek, she could even hear his sudden shallow breathing and the increased pace of his heartbeat through his chest.

"Ichigo," he said again, breathless. Then the girl felt his soft lips pressing against hers and his body crushing down on her as he held her with an arm and rolled along with her until she was on her back. He parted his lips slightly, bringing his prying tongue into her mouth as he explored every inch of it, causing an electric shock through her body as her skin tingled at the sensation.

She returned the kiss, bringing her own tongue against his in their struggle to explore the depths of their souls. He moaned at the sensation of her hands slipping under his vest, pressing against the muscled arches of his chest, as he clung on to her as tightly as he could. She pulled herself ever closer to him, hands traveling under his shirt, across his chest, lean abs, and muscled back before they finally emerged at his arms. She sighed as a warm sensation spread from her abdomen, the hair on her arms standing on end. She never _ever_ wanted to let go.

"Ichigo" he growled slightly, causing her to shiver suddenly as he rolled them across the bed again, bringing Ichigo to lay on top of him. Their lips had finally parted but their eyes were hungry for more. "Ichigo, stop." His breathing was heavy and irregular, as the redhaired girl brought a hand to the zipper of his vest, slowly pulling it down. "Ichigo, don't do this to me." He said, half whimpering. "Damnit woman." He flipped her over, propping himself just a few millimeters from touching her body as Ichigo lay beneath him staring into his eyes. "God, I _want _you." His husky voice rumbled through her body. But then he looked away, forcing himself away from her. "You're not thinking straight. It was that fever."

She pulled him back down, causing his body to crash forcefully into hers. "When are you going to drop that?" She snarled. "Is it that weird that I could _want_ you?"

"All I'm saying is..." He gulped as she pulled the vest off of him. "Give it a week before anything." He jerked up, watching the girl as he attempted to settle his heartbeat. "If you still feel that way in a week, then I'll be sure that you're serious."

She sat up suddenly, facing the blond before pinning him back down onto the bed. "I _am_ serious. You're the one who isn't listening."

"Ichigo," his breaths became shallower and sped up. "Seriously, stop it. Before I lose control." But his words only brought a glint to her eyes.

"What if I want you to?" she challenged, sending him a seductive look. He pulled her forcefully against him, with a low rumble at his throat that was a cross between a purr and a growl. Then bringing his mouth to her ear, he nibbled on the corner of it, causing the girl to squeal. "Then _maybe_ I won't hold back."

He slipped his hands under her shirt, stroking her bare back as he brought his lips down her neck, kissing, caressing, sucking and nibbling as she responded with a soft moan. She hooked her legs around his waist, pulling herself as close to him as possible. So lost in their passionate embrace and overwhelmed by lust, neither of the two heard the creak by the door.

"Ryou-" Keiichiro called from the other side of the door, one hand at the knob.

"I'm BUSY!" Ryou snapped back after having forced himself to pull away from Ichigo's soft skin. But it was too late.

Keiichiro had already opened the door, with a shocked Zakuro standing beside him. "Ehem. I see that." The brunet said before quickly turning away, his cheeks rosy.

"Oh God." Ichigo had quickly separated herself from Ryou, as she turned to her side to completely avoid eye contact with the two witnesses.

"So nothing's going on between you two eh?" Zakuro mused calmly, though her cheeks were quite red as well.

"Well, not _anymore_." Ryou snatched his pillow and chucked it at the two. "What do you want anyway?" He said in the most irritated tone. He sat up, facing the door as he spoke.

"Well, it's Sukai-san. She's looking for you two." Keiichiro managed to utter without meeting his eyes.

"Alright." Ryou sighed, "Shoo shoo, off you go then." He swept both hands at them, motioning for them to leave. But just as Keiichiro fumbled at the doorknob to close the door, Ryou spoke "And not a word of this to the others." He rested his elbows on his raised knees, as he stared at the brunet and purple-haired Mew. Keiichiro immediately nodded, but Zakuro just looked away casually.

"Zakuro!" The blond demanded.

"Well, I can't promise anything." She said, smirking.

And then they heard a small whimper from the corner of the bed. "Please Zakuro." It was Ichigo. She slowly got up, and looped an arm around Ryou for support. Her eyes were pleading.

"Alright Ichigo." She complied. "But they'll eventually find out on their own anyhow."

"Thanks." The redhead breathed out a sigh of relief, as Ryou turned to her, concerned. The startled brunet and surprised idol retreated from the room.

"So...Ichigo." He whispered in her ear as she remained leaning against his shoulder with an arm still linked to his. She jumped suddenly at the sound, ears and tail popping into place as her face glowed bright red.

Ryou gave her a contemplating look before speaking. "I can't seem to make sense of your cat features and your transformations. Sometimes you turn into a cat with a kiss and sometimes you don't." It really had been bothering him for awhile. "I guess we'll just have to undergo some _tests_." He blew into her ear, causing her to tip over with embarrassment.

Finally working up the nerve to speak, Ichigo got up and unlinked herself from his arms. She broke the silence that had settled between them. "D-Did you mean the whole one week thing? I already know my answer, but if you really mean it, I guess I'll let you know in a week." She climbed out of the bed and slipped into her shoes.

"Yeah, that would be for the best." Ryou replied, half wanting to kick himself for the torturous week of waiting. "And we should keep it from the others before we're sure." He turned to face the bathroom door, settling his feet on the ground beside his bed as he reached for his vest.

Ichigo was half way out the door before she turned around a last time. "I love you Ryou Shirogane, you know that?"

The blond watched her warm eyes and infectious wide smile as his lips curved up into a similarly wide grin. "I love you too, Ichigo Momomiya. But we should probably save that for the end of the week."

"I can't wait that long!" She gave a whimper before dashing out of the room in embarrassment, ears and tail still in place.

Ryou smiled at her words as he zipped up his shirt, his emotionless shields were completely shattered. "Me neither, strawberry. Me neither." With a sigh, he headed downstairs.

He didn't let it get him too down though. He had already waited for over a year, another week was nothing.

* * *

Do you guys still want a sequel? After writing this, I've come to realize that whatever sequel I come up with will probably end up having lots to do with making out and trying not to get caught. Well, of course I'll be adding a plotline as a basis. This is the general idea for now:

Ichigo and Ryou are chained together for a week as a part of their idol training. Ichigo agrees to reply to Ryou's feelings by the end of that week. Meanwhile, Ryou takes this chance to find out how exactly Ichigo's transformations work. Translation: lots of experimental kisses.

I originally wanted this to be a part of the story before they confessed their feelings because it would have been a lot funnier to see them at each other's throats, but now I'm only left with fluff and lime! No witty bickering...well I'll probably work that in somehow.

**Please take a look at Unspoken Words**, **another TMM IXR fanfic of mine. (My second fanfic.)**

As soon as I start the sequel, I'll be sure to post the name of it here. I'll probably name it Starlight 2: Chained For a Week. Or something just as easily recognizable...


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